Joseph Theodore Deters (born April 4, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court since 2023.

In 1987, he led the investigation of Donald Harvey, a convicted serial killer who pleaded guilty to murdering 37 people as apla hospital orderly.

[7] In 2012, Deters was highly critical of Xavier University for expelling Dezmine Wells, one of its basketball players, due to a rape allegation.

Prior to the school hearing on the matter, a grand jury had refused to prosecute Wells, and Deters—who is known for being tough on crime and said the prosecutor's office had conducted a thorough investigation—maintained that the accusation lacked any credibility and the decision "wasn't even close.

[8] On July 29, 2015, Deters oversaw the indictment of University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing in the killing of Sam DuBose during a traffic stop.

The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting.Nevertheless, the office worked quickly to complete the investigation, filing charges just 10 days after the initial shooting.

[13] However, a divided jury failed to reach a verdict on two separate occasions, prompting Deters’ announcement that the County would not try the case a third time.

[14] Following a violent 2021 Fourth of July weekend in Cincinnati, which included a shooting at a downtown park, Deters announced that the office would no longer offer plea bargains in any cases involving gun violence or possession of illegal firearms.

He has maintained this stance, even after a Vatican official rebuked Deters, a Roman Catholic, for pursuing the death penalty for serial killer Anthony Kirkland, who killed two adult women and two young girls between 2006 and 2009.

There is evil in this world and there comes a point where society needs to defend itself.He has repeated that he was elected to uphold Ohio law, which includes the death penalty.

I have no quarrel with that.”[18] In July 2018, Deters said he wants the state to bring back death penalty by firing squad amid complaints about lethal injection.

[citation needed] In 1988, Deters was appointed Hamilton County Clerk of Courts and sought election to the office that year.

Given that this was also a Presidential Election year, Deters felt it was crucial to enter so that Republicans could retain viability and legitimacy within the region.

[28] Facing Former City of Cincinnati Prosecuting Attorney Janaya Trotter, Deters campaigned on the promise to continue removing violent offenders from the streets and ensuring the safety of Hamilton County residents.

[31] Deters campaigned on a similar platform, aggressively prosecuting violent criminals while seeking opportunities for diversion programs, where appropriate.