By Sheila McLaughlin
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LEBANON - Warren County Common Pleas Court will have one more judge in 2005.

And a sitting county court judge said Thursday that he wants to step up to the job.

Gov. Bob Taft signed off on legislation this week creating a third general division judgeship in the wake of a 65 percent increase in civil and criminal cases in the last decade because of the area's growth boom.

Warren County Court Judge James Heath, who narrowly lost a bid for another common pleas seat in last May's primary, said he intends to run for the new seat in the November 2004 election.

"Long before it was approved, when there was discussion about it, I talked to my supporters and my family in particular, and the unanimous decision was to run," Heath said.

Neither Heath nor Tom Grossmann, a GOP county co-chairman, has heard of anyone else interested in the spot.

State Rep. Tom Raga, R-Deerfield Township, sponsored the bill earlier this year at the request of local judges who were scrambling to keep up with their caseloads in the state's second-fastest-growing county.

"It is crucial that we keep the services of the Warren County court system in line with the needs of a growing population," he said.

The new judgeship takes effect in January 2005.

In the meantime, retired Warren County Common Pleas Judge P. Daniel Fedders will return this summer as a magistrate to work on civil cases. Court officials said that will allow judges Neal Bronson and James Flannery to focus on criminal cases, which have increased by 46 percent in the last four years.

E-mail smclaughlin@enquirer.com