Executive Board
Judge Davies
The Honorable Albert E. Davies is a graduate of Miami University and attended the University of Toledo College of Law. He was sworn in on August 6, 2018 as the Belmont County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile and Probate Division Judge.
Judge Davies worked in the law firm of Myser & Davies for the past 25 years and as a Judge in the Belmont County Court, Eastern Division for approximately four years. He also previously served as the Law Director for the City of St. Clairsville for nearly 15 years.
Judge Davies has practiced in the areas of criminal, family, school, municipal, corporate, and personal injury law. Having represented several school disctricts in Belmont County in the past, Judge Davies advocates for our youth and values education.
Judge Davies resides in St. Clairsville with his wife and two children.
Judge Noble
The Honorable Frank W. Noble, Jr. graduated from Buckeye South High School. He graduated from Bethany College, magna cum laude, and received his Juris Doctorate degree from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law in 1995.
Judge Noble began his term as Probate and Juvenile Judge for Jefferson County on February 9, 2021. Prior to that he served as police prosecutor for the City of Steubenville from 1998-2005. In 2005, he was appointed Magistrate of the Jefferson County Juvenile Court. In 2016, he added the role of Probate Court Magistrate/Court Administrator to his duties and held those until his election. During his time in private practice, he served as solicitor for several municipalities as well as counsel for the Jefferson County Children Services Board. Judge Noble was also an Associate Professor at West Liberty University in the Criminal Justice Program.
Some of Judge Noble’s affiliations include the Jefferson County Bar Association where he is a past president and the Ohio State Bar Association. He is a member of the Juvenile Law and Procedure Committee as well as the Probate Law and Procedure Committee with the Ohio Judicial Conference.
Judge Noble resides in Steubenville with his wife, Lisa, and their two sons.
Judge Bennett
The Honorable David B. Bennett has served as Judge of the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court Probale/Juvenile Divisions since 2015.
Judge Bennett is a lifelong resident of Guernsey County having graduated from Cambridge High School in 1978. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in 1982 where he graduated with honors and received his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School in 1985 where he received the Dean's Award for his service to the University.
Judge Bennett received his license to practice law in Ohio in 1985, and the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, in 1986.
Judge Bennett was a partner in the law firm of Knowlton and Bennett for over 29 years where he practiced with his brother, William Bennett. He also served as President of Bennett Title Agency in Cambridge from 2000 to 2015.
Judge Bennett has been active in the legal profession and the community throughout his career. He served on the Ohio State Bar Association Board of Governors and was President of the Ohio State Bar Foundation, he also served as Councilman-at-Large to Cambridge City Council from 1990 to 2015 where he was Chairman of the Finance Committee.
Judge Bennett has been active in numerous charitable organizations in Guernsey County such as Cambridge Main Street, the Cambridge-Guernsey County Community Improvement Corporation, and Dollar for Scholars. He is also an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Cambridge.
Judge Bennett resides in Cambridge with his wife Debi. They have two children: Stephanie, a nurse at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Michelle, a Senior at The Ohio State University.
Judge Riddle
The Honorable Kelly A. Riddle began her term as Judge of the Noble County Common Pleas Court Probate/Juvenile Division in 2021.
Judge Puskarich
The Honorable Matthew P. Puskarich graduated from Lakeland High School and attended Otterbein College. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Wake Forrest School of Law in 1991.
Judge Puskarich began his term as Probate and Juvenile Judge for Harrison County in 2003. Before that he was the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Jefferson County from 1991 - 1996 and was elected Harrison County Prosecuting Attorney in 1997 and served until 2003.
Some of Judge Puskarich’s affiliations include the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges, Director for District 5 from 2005 to present and Sargus Juvenile Detention Center Board Vice-Chairman from 2003 to present.
Judge Puskarich is married to the former Kris Heston and they have two sons.
Judge Peters
The Honorable James W. Peters graduated from Zanesville High School in 1972 and the Ohio State University in 1976. He received his Juris Doctorate degree in 1981 from Capital University Law School.
Judge Peters served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Wetzel County, West Virginia from 1983 to 1988. In 1989 he was sworn in as Judge of the Monroe County Court, a part-time position where he served until February 2015 when he took the bench as Judge of the Monroe County Probate and Juvenile Court. Judge Peters practiced law as a sole practitioner in Monroe County for thirty-four years.
Judge Peters and his wife, Kay, have two children. Son, James, serves as the Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney and daughter, Kylie, serves as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the cities of Reynoldsburg and Whitehall.