Judge Anita Bechmann. Photo courtesy Clermont County.
BATAVIA, OHIO – Clermont County Municipal Court Judge Anita Bechmann received the 2025 Champions of Hope award from Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCBHS) at a gala benefit April 25.
The nonprofit gives the award to community leaders whose vision and commitment help improve opportunities and outcomes for those who struggle with mental illness, substance use disorder and homelessness.
Bechmann serves as the administrative judge of the Clermont County Municipal Court and presides over both its specialized docket of cases involving mental health issues and violations for operating a vehicle while
impaired. She started the mental health docket in 2023.
Those sentenced as part of Bechmann’s specialized dockets receive help from GCBHS’ service teams and clinical leaders.
“Judge Bechmann brings vision and personal passion to the work,” said Alicia Fine, chief program officer and senior vice president for GCBHS in Clermont County. “She challenged us to come together with new strategies to build a new approach.”
Bechmann was appointed to the bench by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in July 2022, becoming the first female judge in Clermont County Municipal Court history. She was elected to the balance of the unexpired term in 2023.
Bechmann received her law degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1992 and her undergraduate degree from the College of Mount Saint Joseph, now Mount Saint Joseph University.
Bechmann started her career as an associate for a local attorney and then established her own private practice representing clients in criminal and civil matters for 10 years. In addition to state courts, she practiced before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She also represented children as their guardian ad litem in juvenile court and worked part time as an assistant public defender for Clermont County.
She accepted a full-time position as an assistant public defender in 2003 and served in the county’s juvenile and municipal courts. Later she was appointed as magistrate, overseeing criminal and civil matters in municipal court.
Bechmann is a member of the Clermont County Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Judicial College, and the Association of Municipal/County Judges of Ohio.
Bechmann has been active in the legal community for many years. She is a member of the Clermont County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections.
She is a past member of the Ohio Association of Magistrates and the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense attorneys.
Bechmann also has served as a board member for CASA for Clermont Kids and Willow Center for Grieving Children.
Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy appointed Bechmann as a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory Committee of Language Services. In addition, Bechmann participates in Ohio’s Project ECHO for Adult Courts, which focuses on opioid and substance abuse disorders and interventions.
About Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services
Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (GCBHS) works to ensure people with mental illness, addiction, and related challenges lead healthy and productive lives. As the region’s largest behavioral healthcare organization, GCBHS seeks to make life better for more than 30,000 people every year by offering comprehensive mental and behavioral health services.
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