New paintings from Judge George Leach now on display in courthouse

Published on January 30, 2026

Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court Judge George Leach has installed several new paintings in the courthouse and is working on several more to add to the display in his courtroom.

New in Judge Monica Hawkins’ Courtroom 62 is a collection of eight small portrait paintings of children. Judge Leach said the paintings are part of his Aura Series, and that each painting includes not only a child’s face, but a deeper sense of each subject.

“Every child has a his or her own aura around their head,” he said.

Judge Hawkins praised the works as “timeless” and said the addition of Judge Leach’s paintings throughout the Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court add a welcome touch of warmth and humanity.

“I always get compliments on the paintings!” she said.

Judge Leach also has been working on additional paintings for his Topiary Series. His Courtroom 61 now includes several paintings from this series, which depict the living sculptures in the Columbus Topiary Garden. He said he completed several more over the holidays. Once those paintings are framed, they’ll also be on display in the courtroom.

Judge Leach, who took up painting several decades ago, has loaned his artwork for display at the Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court for many years, even before he was elected to the bench in 2020. You can find his paintings in courtrooms and hallways throughout the court.

The judge also had his artwork chosen for the fine arts exhibition at last year’s Ohio State Fair. His work “Barn with Truck and Red Sky” was one of 363 pieces selected from more than 1,300 entries submitted for the display at the state fair.