It was one of the worst-kept secrets in Campbell County political circles over the last few weeks: Judge Gregory T. Popovich was going to resign his District Court judgeship after winning reelection in November 2014. Popovich has served in the 17th District for the last 22 years after winning his first election in 1993.
The Office of the Governor confirmed to Fort Thomas Matters on Monday that the judge submitted his letter of resignation and he will finish at midnight March 16, 2016.
Popovich, who turned 65 on March 10, will leave just under two years on his term, which ends January 2018.
Judge Gregory Popovich. Provided
Popovich has told his professional and personal circles that the reason for his retirement is financial. The public retirement system can be vulnerable to losing public employees when the employee hits a tipping point where their age and time-worked reaches a critical mass and retiring pays more than working.
Some suggest, however, that recent run-ins with the Judicial Conduct Commission have pushed the judge to throw in the towel midterm.
Visit Fort Thomas Matters for more details on Judge Popovich's resignation.
Mark Collier is the publisher for FortThomasMatters.com, a local news website about his hometown and surrounding areas. He’s passionate about local and state politics, Cincinnati and Kentucky sports and bourbon and beer. You can follow him on Twitter @MLorenCollier or @FtThomasMatters.
