Login | February 26, 2026
Longtime Magistrate Timothy G. Welsh looks back on his time on the bench
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: February 26, 2026
As the son of legendary Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Administrator T. Gordon Welsh, it’s not a surprise that Timothy G. Welsh would go into the legal profession.
Now after working in the Mahoning County community for about four decades as an attorney and magistrate, Welsh is retiring at the end of February.
Welsh has served as a magistrate to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge R. Scott Krichbaum since 2006.
“The legal profession has been very good to me,” said Welsh, whose last day on the job is tomorrow, Feb. 27. “It’s given me the opportunity to provide for my family while serving my clients and ultimately the people of Mahoning County.
“I’ve worked with many outstanding lawyers and judges, especially Judge Krichbaum, who I have a great deal of respect for and have known since I was a teenager. He is the most brilliant lawyer and finest administrative judge I’ve ever known.
“But over the last year, there have been a number of occurrences in my life, including the birth of my first grandson, that signaled to me it was time to retire,” said Welsh. “I want to spend more time with him and become more active in my church and the community.”
“Tim has been a conscientious and dedicated magistrate, who is focused on getting things done right,” said Judge Krichbaum. “He has been a pleasure and a blessing to have in this position because he is as good as they get.
“Like his father, Gordon Welsh, he has always held our system of justice in the highest regard,” said Judge Krichbaum.
“He is someone who will be difficult to do without,” said Judge Krichbaum. “I will miss him dearly. I wish Tim the very best in all of his future endeavors.”
Attorney and former assistant prosecutor Ross Smith was sworn in on Jan. 12 as Welsh’s replacement.
“Ross and I have known one another for about 20 years,” said Judge Krichbaum. “He has been a trial lawyer virtually his entire career and brings a wealth of experience to the position.
“I am blessed to find someone like him to replace Tim,” said Judge Krichbaum. “I don’t think we’ll miss a beat.”
“I’m very happy for Tim,” said his wife Kathi McNabb Welsh, chief of the civil division at the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office. “He has worked very hard and done a great job as a magistrate. He deserves a very happy retirement.
“I will add though that I’ve already started compiling a list of things that need to be done around the house,” said Kathi. “We have worked around each other for quite some time, and while things will be different, I plan to continue to work a bit longer.”
Born in Youngstown, Welsh grew up in Boardman Township.
Welsh said he was initially planning on becoming a doctor, but when his guidance counselor at Boardman High School informed him that his aptitude test showed his strength was in language arts, he began rethinking his career path.
He said his father was very committed to the justice system, having served as a bailiff to the late Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles J. Bannon and later making a name for himself as the very first court administrator in the general division of the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
“My family has a long history of being involved in the justice system,” said Welsh. “In addition to my dad serving as a bailiff and court administrator, my grandfather was the sheriff of Mahoning County for many years.
“My dad never pushed me to become a lawyer but his dedication and respect for the system definitely influenced me.”
After graduating from Youngstown State University, where he majored in combined social studies, Welsh earned his juris doctor from The University of Akron School of Law in 1986.
“I met my wife Kathi the night before the first day of law school, and looking back I surely believe it was part of God’s plan for me to attend law school.”
While at Akron Law, Welsh was a bailiff to then Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge Peter C. Economus, who went on to serve on the bench of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio for many years.
Welsh began his career as an associate at the former Mahoning County law firm of Burdman, Kretzer, Ellington, Stein & Marando.
About two years after he started, his former firm merged with Nadler & Nadler to form Nadler, Nadler & Burdman Co.
In 1989, Welsh moved to Wilkes & Wilkes, where he primarily handled insurance defense and coverage issues.
The name was changed to Wilkes, Wilkes & Welsh after he became a partner about three years later.
Later, Welsh and his partner Larry Wilkes opened the Youngstown office of the Cleveland-based law firm Davis & Young.
He worked for Davis & Young until 2004 when he was appointed as a full-time magistrate at the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
After the court was restructured to allow each judge to have a dedicated magistrate, Judge Krichbaum reached out to Welsh to serve in the role.
“Tim’s father and I were bailiffs together at the common pleas court in the 1970s and I got to know Tim very well as a result,” Judge Krichbaum. “Later, after he became a lawyer, he appeared in my court repeatedly over the years and did an outstanding job representing his clients.
“When Tim was first appointed as a magistrate, he was part of a pool of magistrates who worked for all the judges,” said Judge Krichbaum. “But in an effort to move the court’s docket along more efficiently, the court decided that each judge should have a dedicated magistrate.
“As the senior judge, I was able to make the first pick, and I immediately chose Tim,” said Judge Krichbaum. “We’ve been a great team ever since.”
“It was a perfect fit,” said Welsh, who has served as Judge Krichbaum’s magistrate for about 20 years. “As a magistrate, I’ve had the opportunity to make some decisions that, at the time of the case, were among the most important factors in the person’s life.
“Judge Krichbaum trusted me to make the best decisions based solely on the facts and the law in accordance with the Code of Judicial Conduct.”
Welsh has spent the last few weeks leading up to his retirement training his replacement, Magistrate Ross Smith.
“He is learning the ropes quickly and I think he will do an exceptional job,” said Welsh. “Judge Krichbaum made an excellent choice.”
Though he is retiring as Judge Krichbaum’s magistrate, Welsh said he will continue to be actively involved in the Mahoning County Bar Association, where he previously served on the board of trustees and as president.
He is currently a member of the Mahoning County Bar Association Civil Law Courts, Lawyers Assistance and Social committees.
“It’s possible I may do some mediation work down the road,” said Welsh. “I haven’t decided.”
Welsh is also a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, along with Division 6 of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
“I want to get involved with local food pantries and kitchens,” said Welsh. “St. Vincent de Paul runs a kitchen, and I have friends that also have pantries.”
In addition, he plans to devote more time to his church, St. Catherine of Siena Parish, where he is a cantor and sings in the choir.
“Looking back on my life, I would not change a thing,” said Welsh. “I met my wife because I decided to go to law school and I hope I’ve made a positive contribution as a member of the legal profession.”