Local News

President Judge Barron retires from bench

Spirits were high at the Mifflin County Courthouse Friday afternoon, where colleagues, friends, and family came together to celebrate the portrait unveiling and retirement of the honorable President Judge David Barron.

Before the reveal of his portrait, President Judge Barron addressed those in attendance. "Just ten short years ago, I was thinking that this term on the bench would be a long time, and now here we are," remarked Judge Barron.

"Time flies when you are surrounded by people who respect and appreciate you," said Barron graciously, thanking his colleagues for their support over the last 10 years. "I will definitely miss the people I work with the most in retirement," he admitted.

Judge Barron has served one term as President Judge, as promised in his election campaign. "I made a promise to our community, and I am keeping that promise," he explained. Barron is very supportive of those following in his footsteps.

"It has been an honor to serve this court and the people of this county, however you are in good hands with the new President Judge Gingrich, and Judge Reed," said Barron confidently.

The title of President Judge will be passed on to Judge Aaron Gingrich, who has worked with Judge Barron for the past eight years. "I feel that we have had a very productive and friendly working relationship, which made the office an enjoyable place to be during the work week," Gingrich reflected, "I believe moving forward we will continue to have a positive office environment, due to the wonderful staff we have."

Judge Barron is valued by many, and the office definitely will not be the same without him. "He's very fun, he's always good for a laugh, and he's great with the staff," shared Christine Stuck, the district court administrator, who has been working alongside Judge Barron since 2018, "we're definitely going to miss him." she said.

While Barron will be missed on the bench, he is looking forward to staying busy in his retirement. "I plan on staying active and enjoying the arts... I play music, I look forward to having more time for that," he revealed.

After unveiling his portrait, President Judge Barron concluded the ceremony by saying "you are all dismissed" as sort of a last hoorah as President Judge.

After the ceremony, there was a celebration for Judge Barron hosted by his colleagues and loved ones, celebrating all of his accomplishments within his term.