Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals Names New Leadership for 2026
CANTON — The Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals has announced new leadership for the coming year, with Judge Andrew J. King elected as Presiding Judge and Judge Kevin W. Popham elected as Administrative Judge. Both appointments will take effect January 1, 2026.
Judge King, who has served on the Fifth District Court of Appeals since February 9, 2023, was elected Presiding Judge by his fellow members of the court. He was originally elected to the appellate bench in November 2022.
Prior to joining the court, Judge King built a broad legal career in both public service and private practice. He previously served as an attorney for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, and the Southwest Licking Community Water and Sewer District. He also spent more than five years as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Delaware County and earlier served as an assistant public defender with the Ohio Public Defender’s Office.
In addition to his judicial duties, Judge King was appointed to a three-year term on the Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct. The 28-member board—comprised of lawyers, judges, and nonlawyers—oversees complaints of professional misconduct involving attorneys and judges, issues advisory ethics opinions, and makes disciplinary recommendations to the Supreme Court of Ohio.
“I am honored that the Supreme Court asked me to serve on this commission,” Judge King said. “I look forward to helping ensure that Ohio’s legal system maintains a high standard of excellence and clients receive the legal services that they are promised.”
Judge King is a graduate of The Ohio State University and earned his Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from Capital University Law School. He is married and has two children.
Also effective January 1, 2026, Judge Kevin W. Popham will assume the role of Administrative Judge after being elected by his colleagues on the court. Judge Popham began his term on the Fifth District Court of Appeals on February 10, 2025.
Judge Popham graduated from Capital University Law School in 1996 and brings extensive legal experience to the bench. His career includes service as a staff attorney and magistrate at the Court of Claims of Ohio, as well as work as an Ohio assistant attorney general under former Attorney General Betty Montgomery. He later spent 15 years in private practice defending physicians, nurses, and healthcare facilities in medical malpractice litigation. Most recently, he served more than eight years as a senior trial attorney with Nationwide Insurance, handling complex litigation involving construction, association law, agricultural matters, trucking, premises liability, and personal injury.
In addition to his legal career, Judge Popham is a retired U.S. Army Captain, having served 20 years in the Army Reserve as both an enlisted soldier and commissioned officer. His civic involvement includes service on the Liberty Township Zoning Commission and the Delaware County Republican Party’s central and executive committees.
Judge Popham is a graduate of the Patrick J. Tiberi Leadership Institute and is affiliated with several professional and civic organizations, including the Federalist Society, the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, the National Rifle Association, and the Ohio Bar Foundation, where he is a Fellow.
The Fifth District Court of Appeals is currently composed of six judges: Judge William B. Hoffman, Judge Craig R. Baldwin, Judge Andrew J. King, Judge Robert G. Montgomery, Judge Kevin W. Popham, and Judge David M. Gormley.
The Fifth District serves a large portion of north central Ohio, covering approximately 7,633 square miles and encompassing 15 counties: Ashland, Delaware, Coshocton, Fairfield, Guernsey, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Perry, Richland, Stark, and Tuscarawas. The court’s six elected judges represent four counties—Stark, Delaware, Licking, and Muskingum—and the district is recognized as one of the busiest appellate courts in the state of Ohio.
The announcement was released by David Q. Wigginton, Court Administrator and Magistrate for the Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals.
