Lackawanna County President Judge Trish Corbett will step down from full-time duty March 31.
In an interview Thursday, Corbett, 66, of Moosic, the county's first female judge, said she will apply for senior status, which allows her to work part-time.
The county common pleas court judges on Thursday afternoon unanimously elected Judge James Gibbons to succeed Corbett as president judge.
Voters first elected Corbett in November 1997. Corbett defeated attorney John E.V. Pieski, then a district justice in the county’s Midvalley. She won retention to new 10-year terms in 2007 and 2017.
“I’ve loved every minute of it,” Corbett said. “I’ve been working since I’m 13 at a paycheck job.”
Corbett said her sister’s death in a car accident several years ago signaled it might be time for a reduced role. She’s unsure how much she will work as a senior judge. Senior judges are paid based on the hours they work.
“It changed my view of what’s important,” she said of her sister's car accident. "I want to have time to travel and be with family. I’m very honored to have been able to serve.”
Gibbons, 67, of Newton Twp., first won election in 2013 and won retention in 2023.
The judge said he's working on settling a case before him and would comment later on his plans as president judge.
It is unclear when voters will have a chance to elect Corbett's full-time replacement on the county bench. Gov. Josh Shapiro can appoint a new judge until an election takes place.
