Judge Josh Berkowitz is honored to serve on the Hamilton County Municipal Court & to ask for your vote for re-election on November 4th! Judge Berkowitz has served as our judge since 2015 and has decided more than 20,000 cases from all across Hamilton County, including criminal, traffic, and civil disputes. Judge Berkowitz has earned a reputation as a judge who upholds the law, treats everyone fairly, and works hard to keep us safe.
A former felony prosecutor, Judge Berkowitz has a strong record of holding dangerous criminals accountable, and delivering justice for victims. Josh served as an Assistant Prosecutor in both Hamilton County and in Franklin County, Ohio. He aggressively prosecuted some of the most serious felony cases in our community and took violent predators off our streets. Josh also served as the elected Law Director for the City of Norwood from 2012 until 2015. As the city's chief legal officer, Josh provided legal counsel to public officials, employees, and city departments.
In December of 2023, Judge Berkowitz was selected by his colleagues to serve as the Municipal Court's Presiding and Administrative Judge. He led the court's response to the Hamilton County clerk of courts' lawsuit and attempt to conceal thousands of court records from the public. In June of 2025 the Ohio Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Judge Berkowitz and his colleagues on the Municipal Court handled the matter appropriately when they ordered the clerk to rescind this policy of removing court records from public view and restore those records to full transparency.
Judge Berkowitz was born and raised in Cincinnati and has lived in Municipal Court district 4 with his family for almost 20 years. District 4 includes the Hamilton County neighborhoods of Norwood, Oakley, Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Mt. Washington, Anderson Township, Mariemont, Newtown, Fairfax, Columbia Township, Columbia Tusculum, the East End, Linwood, California, Mt. Adams, and downtown Cincinnati (south of Central Parkway and east of Plum St.).
Since 2012, Judge Berkowitz has served as a member of the Hamilton County Law Library Resource Board which oversees the Law Library on the 6th floor of the courthouse. The Law Library was founded in 1834 and is open to the public and provides legal research for government offices throughout the county as well as attorneys and legal professionals.
Judge Berkowitz is a devoted husband and a proud father. He is active in his church and enjoys volunteering as a youth sports coach and in support of local civic organizations including the Yellow Ribbon Support Center. Judge Berkowitz has dedicated his career to making Hamilton County a safer, stronger place to live, work, & raise a family.
It is an honor to serve as your judge. My pledge to you is to always uphold the law, to treat everyone fairly, & to keep our community safe by holding dangerous criminals accountable. I am honored to ask for your vote for re-election.
Endorsements
Former Congressman Brad Wenstrup
FOP Queen City Lodge #69
