Council approves municipal court appointments including two-year term for judge

Canton City Council approved staff recommendations on May 7 to appoint municipal court officers for two-year terms. Staff recommended City Judge Tom Roche be reappointed and named Jeffrey Rushbridge as chief solicitor, with solicitors Laura Derek, Audrey Conley and Seth Stroud, and Christopher Bishop as public defender.

"We brought to you in January [the need] to appoint municipal court officers," staff said. The appointments for solicitors and public defender are calendar-year appointments through the end of the current calendar year; the city judgeterm is a two-year appointment as presented.

Councilmember Roach recused himself from the vote because one appointee is his cousin. The remaining members moved, seconded, and unanimously approved the appointments.