Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Prosecutor’s Office Provides Training for Police Chiefs
The Police Chief's Association recently hosted Joseph Palmer, Chief Appellate Counsel at the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office, as its guest speaker this month. This quarterly meeting brings together law enforcement professionals to share expertise and best practices from their departments and jurisdictions. Some of its’ regular attendees include South Zanesville Chief of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Genesis Chief of Police, Village of Frazeysburg Police and Muskingum County’s Prosecutor’s Office Investigator. This month they also welcomed a Lieutenant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and a Southeast Ohio Law Enforcement Liaison.
With a remarkable 50 years of experience in criminal law, Palmer has served as a Jail Administrator, Judge, Prosecuting Attorney, and Law Enforcement Training Officer. Palmer eventually found himself joining the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office in 2024 as Chief Appellate Counsel.
As the Chief Counsel Appellate Counsel, Palmer represents the State of Ohio in Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Ohio. Attorney Palmer handles appeals, writes legal briefs, and argues cases on appeal. Some of the criminal appeals that Palmer oversees involve murder, sexual assaults, domestic violence, and crimes against children.
Under his guidance, 97% of the cases from the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office have been upheld by the Court of Appeals and Ohio Supreme Court.
Palmer's dedication to education has built memorable relationships throughout his career. During Palmer's presentation, a member of the Police Chiefs' Association reminded him of this by recalling his attendance at one of Palmer's training courses in the 1990s.
Palmer's training to members of the Police Chief’s Association focused on domestic violence cases. It also aimed to bridge the gap of information between law enforcement and the Prosecutor's Office. He ended his presentation by empowering law enforcement agents to accurately classify domestic disputes and present strong, prosecutable cases to the Prosecutor’s Office.
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