Crowded together in the Richland County Probate Courtroom Friday morning, people had the opportunity to witness history in the making as the first woman prosecutor for Richland County, Bambi Couch Page, was sworn into office.
The oath of office was administered by Richland County Probate Court Judge Philip Alan B. Mayer, who is the brother of the late James Mayer, Jr., prior Richland County prosecutor. James Mayer, Jr. passed away Sept. 26.
Philip Mayer noted that Couch Page had a private practice out of his office in the 90s. “I’ve known her for a long time,” he shared. He added, “She’s an excellent trial lawyer and a very strong personage, which is a qualification that aids a prosecutor in their performance.”
After signing her oath of office, Couch Page thanked everyone for coming and commented, “It’s hard to do this without some emotion involved based upon the circumstances that brought us here.”
“I miss Jim [Mayer] everyday and I wish it hadn’t come to me this way. It’s been a trying three weeks, but we’ve made it.”
She thanked the staff at the prosecutor’s office for all of their support and added, “I only hope that we can continue Jim’s legacy; that’s our goal. We’re going to move forward. We’re going to continue in a way that he would have had us continue. I’m very proud to have worked for the man and I’m very proud to replace him.”
Her son Nicholas Page, 27, was among those in the crowd who witnessed her swearing in. Couch Page mentioned that her other son, Jordan Page, 29, was unable to make it because he is currently in Germany.
Afterwards, people lined up to give hugs and handshakes to the new prosecutor.
On Sept. 29, Couch Page was appointed interim prosecutor by the Richland County commissioners. Then, on Oct. 9, she was officially selected to fill the remainder of Mayer’s unexpired term during the Central Committee of the Richland County Democratic Party meeting.
A native of New Washington, Couch Page graduated from Buckeye Central High School. She earned her undergraduate degree in secondary education from The Ohio State University in 1979 and her law degree from Ohio Northern in 1982.
After graduation, she joined a practice in Shelby. She later worked for the Child Support Enforcement Agency and then served as the law director’s assistant starting in 1992.
For the last 14 years, she worked for James Mayer, Jr. In February of this year she became the first assistant prosecutor after the prior first assistant prosecutor Judge Brent Robinson was appointed the county’s Common Pleas judge.
