Judge Gwen Bender was appointed as a judge on the Hamilton County Municipal Court. Prior to this appointment, she was a dedicated prosecutor for Hamilton County. Over the course of her 23 years of work there, she prosecuted thousands of criminals, working closely with law enforcement agencies across Hamilton County. As the Chief Assistant Prosecutor of the Municipal Division, she developed a reputation as being tough on crime, while showing compassion to those before the court.
Judge Bender is a lifelong resident of the west side of Cincinnati. Known back then by her maiden name of Schratt, she attended C.O. Harrison and J.F. Dulles elementary schools, and Delhi Junior High. She is a proud graduate of Seton High School (class of 1984), St. Mary’s College (Notre Dame, Indiana) and the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Gwen and her husband J.D. are the proud parents of two sons, Jack and Brent. Both boys are currently studying at the University of Cincinnati.
Experience Thus Far
This has been an incredible experience thus far. I took the bench approximately a week after obtaining the appointment, and I hit the ground running. I was honored to be sworn in to serve my friend and mentor Judge Lisa Allen. I was humbled to be joined in the ceremony by my father, Brenton Schratt, and husband, J.D. Bender. Both sons managed to sneak away before their classes began at U.C. to join us. Although the ceremony is brief, it meant so much for my family to be part of this process, as they truly are part of the reason I accepted this position.
My experience as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor of the Municipal Division for the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office allowed the transition to occur very smoothly. I look forward to meeting the challenges ahead and will work to keep our community safe for the citizens of Hamilton County.
