“It is time for a change,” he said. “Even if it is as a visiting judge, it would give me more variety and allow me to serve the public at the same time.”
The timing, in part, was impacted by his desire for voters to weigh in on the next Common Pleas Court judge. “I wanted the voters to make the selection of my replacement,” Welbaum said.
The judge, who a few years ago made a run with the bulls in Spain, said he is looking for a new adventure.
He said he is “wide open” when it comes to his future activity. He said he’d be happy practicing law, teaching at a college or serving as a governmental lawyer, in addition to traveling around as a visiting judge.
In his letter to Chief Justice Eric Brown, Gov. Ted Strickland and local officials, Welbaum said the decision “has been the most difficult of my career.” He said he has enjoyed the job and all the people with whom he worked.
The governor can appoint someone to the court until the election or could leave the seat to a visiting judge. Welbaum is a Republican. Strickland a Democrat.
Welbaum worked in private practice, s a public defender and was the county prosecutor before his election to the bench in the mid-1990s.