Law Department

The Solicitor & Prosecuting Attorney is the Village’s statutory chief legal officer, who is responsible for all civil legal advice and counsel to Village officials, along with serving as chief prosecutor for the Village in Hartford Mayor’s Court and Licking County Municipal Court. 

As the Village’s counsel, the Solicitor is
unable to provide legal advice to individual citizens, but does try to respond to reasonable requests for assistance from the public. 

As the Law Department head, the Solicitor
reports to the Mayor and supervises any
special or assistant prosecutors, or outside
counsel involved in Village legal matters. 

The Solicitor has additional duties as police
legal advisor and firearms instructor.

Personnel of the Office of the
Solicitor & Prosecuting Attorney

Michael R. Moran, Esq.
Solicitor & Prosecuting Attorney  
                                    
Mr. Moran has served the Village of Hartford since 1996.  He holds a B.A. from Marietta College and the J.D. (doctor of law) from
Capital University, where he holds an appointment as an Adjunct Professor in the Paralegal Programs. 

He is admitted to the Ohio and District of Columbia bars, along with all federal courts
in Ohio and all military courts.  He is a
graduate of the 54th Annual Short Course for Prosecuting Attorneys at Northwestern
University School of Law, the U.S. Army
Military Police Branch Orientation Course,
the U.S. Army Inspector General School’s
DoD Combatant Command & Joint Inspector General Course and the U.S. Navy Inspector General School. 

He holds an appointment from the Governor
as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Ohio Military Reserve, Ohio’s state guard, where he serves
as the Inspector General and has served as
Acting Staff Judge Advocate. Mr. Moran holds certification as a law enforcement firearms instructor from the Ohio Peace Officer
Training Commission.

Mr. Moran is also a Magistrate for the
Villages of Sunbury and Lithopolis.

William L. Stehle, Esq.

Special Assistant Prosecutor

Mr. Stehle is a graduate of Notre Dame
University with a B.A., Indiana University
with an M.B.A. and the Ohio State University with a J.D.  He was admitted to the Ohio bar
in 1964 and has had a distinguished career as a public servant and trial lawyer. 

After serving the State of Ohio as an
Assistant Attorney General, he was a Deputy Assistant to Governor Rhodes and an Administrative Law Judge. 

He has served on Gahanna City Council, on
the Gahanna Parks & Recreation Board and
as a Deputy Recorder for Franklin County,
Ohio. 

He is a former President of the Franklin
County Trial Lawyers Association and was formerly a Board-certified civil trial lawyer. 

Mr. Stehle has tried dozens of civil and
high-level criminal cases, ranging from
homicides to eminent domain takings, in successful conclusions before juries in courts throughout Ohio. 

Mr. Stehle is a magistrate for the Village of Lithopolis.