Home Elected Offices Common Pleas Court - Family Division Judges & Administration

Judges & Administration

Judge Larry N. Heiser
	Judge Larry N. Heiser received his Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University and his Law Degree from Ohio Northern University. He served as Acting Judge in the Marion Municipal Court and as a Magistrate for the Marion Municipal Court. Judge Heiser is a member of the Marion County Bar Association, Marion County Bar Association Probate Committee, Marion County Law Library Committee, JDAI Assessment Team, and NCORC Advisory Board. He is also co-chair of the Marion County Bar Association Family Law Committee.

Judge Larry N. Heiser

Judge Larry N. Heiser received his Bachelor’s Degree from The Ohio State University and his Law Degree from Ohio Northern University. He served as Acting Judge in the Marion Municipal Court and as a Magistrate for the Marion Municipal Court. Judge Heiser is a member of the Marion County Bar Association, Marion County Bar Association Probate Committee, Marion County Law Library Committee, JDAI Assessment Team, and NCORC Advisory Board. He is also co-chair of the Marion County Bar Association Family Law Committee.

Judge Rhonda G. Burggraf
	Judge Rhonda G. Burggraf started her career in law as a Law Clerk at the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court before serving as a District Hearing Officer for the Ohio Industrial Commission. Burggraf then moved on to become an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Crawford County, then Marion County. She practiced privately at Burggraf Law as the Principal Attorney until she returned to Marion County as a Probate Investigator and Family Services Coordinator, and Marion County Family Court Magistrate. Judge Burggraf received her Law Degree from the University of Dayton. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Wittenberg University. She is a member of the Marion County Bar Association, the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute Class of 2023, the Women’s Business Council, and the Marion Noon Kiwanis. She is also on the grant and scholarship committee for the Marion Rotary Club and the secretary and 5K director for the LaRue Community Alliance.

Judge Rhonda G. Burggraf

Judge Rhonda G. Burggraf started her career in law as a Law Clerk at the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court before serving as a District Hearing Officer for the Ohio Industrial Commission. Burggraf then moved on to become an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Crawford County, then Marion County. She practiced privately at Burggraf Law as the Principal Attorney until she returned to Marion County as a Probate Investigator and Family Services Coordinator, and Marion County Family Court Magistrate. Judge Burggraf received her Law Degree from the University of Dayton. Additionally, she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Wittenberg University. She is a member of the Marion County Bar Association, the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute Class of 2023, the Women’s Business Council, and the Marion Noon Kiwanis. She is also on the grant and scholarship committee for the Marion Rotary Club and the secretary and 5K director for the LaRue Community Alliance.

Chief Magistrate David T. Reed
	Chief Magistrate David T. Reed received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University in 1990 and his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in 1994. He worked at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, Marion Branch, representing low income families in a variety of civil matters until 2001 when he became bailiff for Judge Deborah A. Alspach. Also a member of the Court’s Family Court Services Department, he mediated and conducted investigations in contested parenting time actions. In 2003, he was appointed Magistrate for the Marion County Court of Common Pleas Family Division and then Chief Magistrate in 2016. From 2007 until 2015, he additionally assumed the administrative responsibility for the Court as its Director. He has received the designation of Certified Court Manager by the National Center for State Courts and the Supreme Court of Ohio. He served on the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Case Management System workgroup. He is a member of the Ohio Association of Magistrates and Marion County Bar Association. He served as the President of the Marion Bar Association in 2017.

Chief Magistrate David T. Reed

Chief Magistrate David T. Reed received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University in 1990 and his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in 1994. He worked at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, Marion Branch, representing low income families in a variety of civil matters until 2001 when he became bailiff for Judge Deborah A. Alspach. Also a member of the Court’s Family Court Services Department, he mediated and conducted investigations in contested parenting time actions. In 2003, he was appointed Magistrate for the Marion County Court of Common Pleas Family Division and then Chief Magistrate in 2016. From 2007 until 2015, he additionally assumed the administrative responsibility for the Court as its Director. He has received the designation of Certified Court Manager by the National Center for State Courts and the Supreme Court of Ohio. He served on the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Case Management System workgroup. He is a member of the Ohio Association of Magistrates and Marion County Bar Association. He served as the President of the Marion Bar Association in 2017.

Magistrate Sheena Bateman
	Magistrate Sheena Bateman began her legal career as a volunteer attorney with Legal Aid Society of Columbus in their Domestic Relations Division. She was in solo practice focusing on criminal defense, juvenile delinquency, divorce, custody, and Guardian ad Litem (GAL) work. She served as the defense attorney for Marion County Common Pleas Court General Division’s F.I.R.S.T. Court and Re-Entry Court before being appointed as Magistrate at Marion Municipal Court in 2019. Magistrate Bateman presided over various civil, traffic, and criminal court hearings while at Municipal Court. She has an associate degree in Applied Science in Criminal Justice Technology, a bachelor’s degree in Political Science/Criminal Justice, and a law degree from The University of Akron School of Law. Magistrate also has extensive training in mediation, parenting coordination, and early neutral evaluation.

Magistrate Sheena Bateman

Magistrate Sheena Bateman began her legal career as a volunteer attorney with Legal Aid Society of Columbus in their Domestic Relations Division. She was in solo practice focusing on criminal defense, juvenile delinquency, divorce, custody, and Guardian ad Litem (GAL) work. She served as the defense attorney for Marion County Common Pleas Court General Division’s F.I.R.S.T. Court and Re-Entry Court before being appointed as Magistrate at Marion Municipal Court in 2019. Magistrate Bateman presided over various civil, traffic, and criminal court hearings while at Municipal Court. She has an associate degree in Applied Science in Criminal Justice Technology, a bachelor’s degree in Political Science/Criminal Justice, and a law degree from The University of Akron School of Law. Magistrate also has extensive training in mediation, parenting coordination, and early neutral evaluation.

Administrative Director James Landon
James Landon, MBA, CCE, CCM is the Administrative Director of the Court of Common Pleas Family Division in Marion, Ohio. He is the principle non-judicial officer of the Court and is responsible for all administrative duties, programming, policies, and procedures, all non-judicial Court personnel, equipment, facilities, and other duties as assigned by the Judges. Prior to joining the staff at Marion County’s Family Court, James spent about ten years working in various positions related to child abuse investigations and treatment, and almost eight years with The Supreme Court of Ohio’s Judicial College managing the education of Ohio judges and magistrates with juvenile, domestic relations, and probate jurisdictions, as well as programming for guardians ad litem and guardians of adults. James has a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) and he is a Certified Court Manager (CCM) and Certified Court Executive (CCE). Currently, James is a student in a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program.

View All News