Judge Peter Kontos announced his retirement from the bench Tuesday after 25 years of serving in the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas court. 

Kontos cited personal reasons that led to his decision to pursue retirement, effective July 31.

Kontos was first elected judge of the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas General Division in  1997. Prior to joining the bench, Kontos served as a Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor.

He was reelected in 2020, with a term beginning in January 2021, and was set to expire in December 2026.

The Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas is working with the Ohio Supreme Court to secure a visiting judge/s to cover the current docket until the judicial vacancy is filled.

Kontos graduated with honors from Bowling Green State University in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts. He obtained his Juris Doctorate Degree from The Ohio State University College of Law in 1979. 

Judge Kontos began his legal career in the office of the Trumbull County Prosecutor where he handled some of the most high-profile cases in Trumbull County.  According to the county website, he successfully prosecuted the first child abuse case for the Child Assault Unit and the first Battered Women Syndrome case in Trumbull County.  As a seasoned trial veteran, Kontos tried several capital cases over the years and in 1996, he was named Ohio Assistant Prosecutor of the Year.

The judge is married to Marisa Kontos, and the couple has two daughters.