By Monica Pryts
MERCER COUNTY — A former Mercer County district judge will temporarily replace retiring District Judge William L. Fagley, Greenville.
Senior District Judge Ruth M. French, who retired in 2005 as Mercer’s district judge, will fill in for Fagley in January, court administrator Pete Morin said Tuesday.
Fagley will retire Dec. 31 after nearly 21 years on the job. His seat will be on the spring primary ballot, as well as the positions of two other district judges who have already retired this year, Lawrence T. Silvis, Pine Township, and James McMahon, Sharon.
Morin said he has to submit an application each month to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts to ensure that the judges’ vacant spots are filled through the end of 2009.
Judge French can continue to fill in for Fagley for all of 2009 if she’s available, Morin said.
David L. Fish, a retired district judge from Pleasantville, is filling in for Silvis, 60, who retired Oct. 14, the judge’s office staff said. Senior District Judge Henry Russo is filling in for McMahon, 68, who retired Oct. 6.
State law requires district judges to retire at age 70. The position is a six-year term.
Mercer County’s elections office has already gotten at least six inquiries from people interested in running for the three vacant seats, said Jeff Greenburg, the county’s elections director.
“There’s a lot of interest in those seats,” he said, declining to reveal any names.
Candidates must live in the district covered by the judge’s office they’re seeking and, if elected, must take a four-week course to become certified.
Candidates can file petitions with the elections office between Feb. 17 and March 10 to get on the May 19 ballot, Greenburg said. Petition packets with detailed information about running for district judge will be available Feb. 13.
The new judges will take office in January 2010. Mercer County’s Web site at www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us has a link to information about the 2009 election. The Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania’s Web site at www.judicialconductboardofpa.org also has details that Greenburg said should be helpful for those interested in running for district judge.
