Incumbent Badnell faces challenge from Franco for Richland County Probate Court judge

RICHLAND COUNTY — Incumbent Richland County Probate Court Judge Kelly Badnell faces a challenge Nov. 3 from Mansfield attorney Robert Franco.

The race is officially non-partisan, but Badnell advanced to November by winning an unopposed Republican Party primary in May. She was elected to her first six-year term in November 2020 by earning 61 percent of the vote in the general election.

Franco filed for the race with the Richland County Board of Elections as an independent by obtaining signatures from 680 residents, surpassing the requirement of 424.

According to state law, a county probate court judge will be paid $180,581 in 2027, a salary that rises to $189,610 in 2028 and $199,091 in 2029.

What are the primary duties of a Probate Court judge?

According to the Ohio Association of Probate Judges, the Ohio Revised Code places more than 200 separate duties on the Probate Court. In general, the function and purpose of the Probate Court is to perform those powers and duties authorized by the Constitution of the State of Ohio and Chapter 2101 of the Ohio Revised Code.

The types of cases handled by the Probate Court are specified in Ohio Revised Code Section 2101.24. Typical cases require a probate court to:

1. Hear and administer estates, trusts, and guardianships of incompetents and minors;
2. Issue marriage licenses and delayed and corrected birth certificates;
3. Hear adoption proceedings, minor settlement cases, and civil commitment proceedings;
4. Admit properly executed wills to probate, appoint fiduciaries to manage decedent’s estates, oversees and settles the accounts of the fiduciaries and orders distribution of the estate assets. The court also hears and determines applications for the release or summary release of smaller estates from formal administration.

Here is a look at both candidates, in alphabetical order:

Kelly Badnell

The 60-year-old Badnell, a Lexington resident, earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and also political science from Washington & Jefferson College and a law degree from the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law.

She said her six years on the bench have centered on constitutional conservatism, court transparency and operational efficiency.

“As judge of the Richland County Probate Court, I apply the law as written by our legislature, and follow the rules of procedure as established by the Supreme Court of Ohio. I want to continue to be able to assist and protect the most vulnerable citizens of Richland County,” Badnell said.

“In four of the last five years, our case clearance rates were over 100 percent. I intend to ensure all cases that come before me are timely and impartially decided,” she said.

Badnell said she established public online access to probate records and court forms in the last six years.

“Any person can access the court docket and the documents filed in cases in our court on our website. Anyone can access fillable court forms on our website.

“In 2022 and 2025, I secured court improvement technology grants to have old court records and documents scanned to be uploaded to our case management system to be retained and accessed online,” Badnell said.

The judge said she is a member of the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure, which reviews rules and recommends changes to them.

“I am a member of the Probate Forms Committee, which creates and updates forms to comply with probate law. I am a frequent speaker for the Ohio Judicial College, teaching sitting and new judges on various legal topics,” Badnell said.

Her goals for a second term include increasing public public access to probate court by establishing an online filing system and creating checklists in each type of case to assist people filing in the court.

“The court cases will be reviewed monthly to ensure case-flow management and
compliance with time deadlines,” she said.

“I will continue the court’s assisted outpatient treatment program to help our residents with mental illness to become stable in our community,” Badnell said. “This program helps to divert people with mental illness away from our already overcrowded criminal justice system.”

Badnell said she is the only candidate in the race with judicial experience.

“I have experience working with the Supreme Court of Ohio to create uniform rules and
procedures. I teach probate law to incoming and sitting probate judges,” she said.

“I look forward to another six years of progress in probate court. I will continue to improve the efficiency and accessibility of the probate court.”

Robert Franco

The 54-year-old Franco earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 2005 and a law degree from the Capital University School of Law in 2009.

He earned an LL.M (Master of Laws) degree in business and taxation from the Capital University School of Law in 2010. An LL.M is an advanced postgraduate academic degree pursued by individuals who already hold a foundational law degree.

In his first attempt for public office, Franco has maintained a private law practice and also has worked as underwriting counsel for the General Title Insurance Company.

Franco said he has represented people in probate court and estate-planning matters throughout north central Ohio for the last 17 years.

“That experience has given me a broad perspective on how probate courts operate and how their procedures affect the people who rely on them,” he said.

Probate court often becomes a part of someone’s life during difficult times, Franco said, “when legal procedures may feel unfamiliar and overwhelming.

“One lesson from law school that has stayed with me: behind every case are real people living through its facts. I believe my probate experience and approach to the law would allow me to serve Richland County with fairness, consistency, an open mind and a willingness to listen,” Franco said.

if elected, He said his primary issues would be to have consistence and flexibility in procedures; provide a fair opportunity for participants to be heard; and implement efficient, affordable processes.

“What works in one county should generally work in another. I would seek clear, practical procedures that are consistent with Ohio law while allowing flexibility when individual circumstances require it,” Franco said.

“I would give parties ample opportunity to present their positions. Before deciding an issue based on law the parties have not briefed, I would ask for briefing and allow them to respond.

“I would work to make court procedures easier for attorneys to follow, reducing unnecessary time and expense for parties,” he said.

Franco said he has 17 years of experience representing diverse clients in different courts and working with clients in different counties. He said he has extensive education and training, including undergraduate work in business administration he will bring the court’s operation.

“I have also been self-employed for three decades, giving me firsthand experience with responsibility, decision-making and the practical operation of a business,” he said.

Franco brings a background in real estate and title law, working in the title industry before going to law school.

“Real estate is often one of the most significant assets in an estate and probate decisions can directly affect ownership, marketability of title and a family’s ability to complete a transaction. That experience gives me an additional practical perspective on an important part of probate administration,” he said.

Franco wants to “encourage and work with younger attorneys” interested in entering the probate field. He said former Richland County Probate Court Judge Philip Mayer, who served for two decades, was instrumental in helping him learn the court’s work.

“We need more lawyers who are prepared to serve families in probate matters and I believe experienced attorneys and the court can play an important role in helping them develop that practice,” he said.

Franco believes there is “an opportunity for greater community outreach and education” about what the probate court does.

“Probate can seem complicated or intimidating, particularly for people encountering the court for the first time.

“If elected, I would work to make Probate Court a place where people are heard, where the law is applied fairly and where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”