Lawrence County

Lawrence County Seal

Municipal Court

Administrative Personnel Biographies

Judge Donald R. Capper
Judge Capper was appointed and took office as Judge of the Lawrence County Municipal Court on October 24, 1990. He was subsequently elected and has served three terms as Presiding Judge of the Court.
Experience
  • 1990 - present - Judge Lawrence County Municipal Court
  • 1988-1990 - Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Lawrence County, Ohio
  • 1983 - present - Private law practice
  • 1982-1983 - Associate attorney with the law firm of Huddleston, Bolen, Beatty, Porter and Copen, Huntington, West Virginia. Assigned to litigation department representing primarily railroads in personal injury and FELA
  • 1981-1982 - Associate attorney for Harvey A. Blair, P.A., Fort Myers, Florida, a small general practice law firm
Education
  • University of Toledo Law School, Toledo, Ohio, Juris Doctor 1980
  • Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, Bachelor of Science 1977
  • Fairland High School, Proctorville, Ohio 1973
Bar and Court Admissions
  • State of Florida - Admitted 1981
  • State of West Virginia - Admitted 1982
  • State of Ohio - 1983
Memberships
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Ohio State Bar
  • West Virginia State Bar Association
  • West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Ohio Municipal Judge’s Association
Public Service
  • Former member of Board of Trustees of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Current member of Executive Board of the Tri-State Area Council for Boy Scouts of America
  • Current member of Board of Directors of the Lawrence County Litter Control Board
  • Former member of the National Board of Directors of Close Up Foundation’s Partners Program
  • Former member of the Board of Directors of Shawnee Mental Health
Dorothy M. Bledsoe
Dorothy Bledsoe was appointed as Clerk of Court for the Lawrence County Municipal Court on January 1, 2008. Prior to being appointed as Clerk of Court she worked as a Deputy Clerk and has substantial experience in the legal field as outlined below.
Experience
  • 2004 - 2007 Deputy Clerk of the Lawrence County Municipal Court
  • 2000 -2004 Legal Secretary for the law firm of Cohen Pollock Merlin Axelrod & Small, Atlanta Georgia. Legal secretary for litigation team specializing in bankruptcy/creditors rights, commercial litigation, landlord/tenant, contract disputes and general civil litigation.
  • 1990 - 1997 Legal Secretary for the law firm of White and Crumpler, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Legal secretary for partner and of-counsel attorney specializing in domestic law, personal injury and medical malpractice litigation.
  • 1987 - 1990 Legal secretary for the law firm of Kilpatrick Stockton, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Legal secretary for litigation team consisting of three associates practicing general civil litigation.
  • 1986 - 1987 Legal secretary for the law firm of Wood, Grimm & Delp, Huntington, West Virginia. Legal secretary for associate practicing general civil litigation.
Education
  • Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Fairland High School, Class of 1984
Memberships
  • Member of the Ohio Association of Municipal and County Court Clerks