Ohio Judge Ralph Winkler Publicly Reprimanded

Hamilton County Probate Court Judge Ralph Winkler has been publicly reprimanded by the Ohio Supreme Court for making false statements on Facebook regarding a guardianship case. Winkler inaccurately claimed that an elderly woman was removed from her home due to deplorable conditions and her son's neglect, which he later deleted within hours. The Supreme Court noted that Winkler's comments caused harm to vulnerable victims, although he did not act with dishonest intent. The reprimand stems from an ongoing guardianship dispute dating back to 2013, which involved the woman's son and daughter accusing the guardian of misconduct. Winkler has cooperated with the investigation and has since transferred control of his Facebook page to staff to prevent further incidents. As a result of his actions, he is required to pay disciplinary court fees and adhere to the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct.