By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

UNION - Gov. Ernie Fletcher has appointed Union lawyer Tony Frohlich to the opening on Boone/Gallatin Circuit Court bench.

Frohlich received a call from Fletcher's office about 4 p.m. Monday informing him of the appointment. He expects to be sworn in as a circuit judge within 30 days.

Frohlich, 49, replaces longtime Boone Circuit Judge Jay Bamberger, who has retired but continues to hear cases when needed.

"It feels great," Frohlich said Monday night. "Being judge has always been a dream of mine. Now that I'm here, I kind of having to pinch myself."

As Boone County's Master Commissioner, Frohlich has worked closely with Bamberger. The Boone/Gallatin circuit is the busiest in the state, with more than 16,000 cases filed annually.

"I'm not intimated by the volume of cases at all," Frohlich said. "I've kind of grown up in this court and with Judge Bamberger, so I know what to expect."

Frohlich has practiced law for 24 years. In addition to operating a private practice, he has also been an assistant state prosecutor and a child support collection attorney.

Fletcher's appointment runs only through the November election, when Frohlich will have to run for the seat against Florence lawyer Ed Drennen.

The winner will serve the remaining four years of Bamberger's term.

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E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com