LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Changes happening in Ohio's Third District Court of Appeals as long-time Allen County prosecutor Juergen Waldick is sworn in as the court's newest judge.
It was a packed house as the oath of office was given that shifted Allen County Prosecutor Juergen Waldick from in front of the bench, to a place on the bench of Ohio's Third District Court of Appeals.
Waldick's daughter, an attorney in Cincinnati, administered the oath, and his wife did the ceremonial "robing". Waldick is looking forward to the transition from his 37 years of representing victims to his new role on the bench.
"We don't get to deal with the victims of crime we just get to, you know, we just get the cases after they've been decided after they've gone to trial. And make sure that justice was done," said Judge Juergen Waldick, Ohio Third District Court of Appeals.
Waldick was voted into office in November to replace retiring Judge Stephen Shaw who has sat on the bench for 36 years. He says Waldick will do well with the change from making decisions independently to making decisions as a collective voice.
"We do that for a reason so that you have 3 sets of experiences, 3 life stories coming together to work on each case and I think the hope is from those multi perspectives you get a fair result," explained Judge Stephen Shaw, retired, Third District Court of Appeals.
Judge Waldick says he was overwhelmed by all those who came to his swearing-in and is honored to be representing the 17-county area that the court covers. He hopes to continue the high standards that Judge Shaw has instilled in the court.
"Judge Shaw, who's held that seat since its inception, has established a very good record of just administering justice and I hope to be able to maintain that and carry that forward," added Waldick.
This will be the only term that Waldick will be on the bench as he will be age-limited out at the next election cycle.
