Joseph Palmer
Chief Appellate Counsel
Appellate Division
Originally from New York, Joseph has five decades of diverse legal experience in private practice, academia, and public service. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Gannon University in Pennsylvania and went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Akron School of Law.
Joseph began his legal career in private practice, where he focused on family law, business law, and probate matters. He later transitioned into the public sector, serving as Judge of the Champaign County Municipal Court. His commitment to education led him to an additional role as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice in Springfield, Ohio.
Driven by a passion for public service and legal education, Joseph later joined the Office of the Ohio Attorney General as a Law Enforcement Training Officer. In this capacity, he developed and delivered both basic and advanced legal training programs for law enforcement professionals across the state.
After five years with the Attorney General’s Office, Joseph continued his public service in Clermont County—first as a Prosecutor and legal advisor to the Sheriff’s Office, then as the Clermont Ohio Jail Administrator.
In 2024, Joseph accepted his current position as Chief Appellate Counsel at the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office. In this role, he manages appeals, authors 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.
Joseph is an active member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Muskingum County Bar Association, and the National District Attorneys Association.
Joseph began his legal career in private practice, where he focused on family law, business law, and probate matters. He later transitioned into the public sector, serving as Judge of the Champaign County Municipal Court. His commitment to education led him to an additional role as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice in Springfield, Ohio.
Driven by a passion for public service and legal education, Joseph later joined the Office of the Ohio Attorney General as a Law Enforcement Training Officer. In this capacity, he developed and delivered both basic and advanced legal training programs for law enforcement professionals across the state.
After five years with the Attorney General’s Office, Joseph continued his public service in Clermont County—first as a Prosecutor and legal advisor to the Sheriff’s Office, then as the Clermont Ohio Jail Administrator.
In 2024, Joseph accepted his current position as Chief Appellate Counsel at the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office. In this role, he manages appeals, authors 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.
Joseph is an active member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Muskingum County Bar Association, and the National District Attorneys Association.