Article Photos

EPHRATAH - When she was little, Town Clerk Eleanor Smith said, she used to go around town and often see Town Justice Harold Smith involved in community activities.

"I'd say hi to him," she said. "But I never realized how important he is ... When you're little, you don't realize the importance of the person."

Harold Smith has been a town justice for 50 years, and Eleanor Smith, now obviously grown up, organized a party for the judge at Saltsman's Hotel on Oct. 24. There, town residents and old friends gathered together to celebrate the longtime magistrate's rare milestone.

One by one, they came up to the 86-year-old justice to congratulate him on the achievement, and some stopped to admire a cake honoring him for his years of service.

"It'll never happen to anyone again," Eleanor Smith said. "If it does, it'll be a real fluke."

Harold Smith became town justice in 1959. He says he ran mostly because he wanted to beat the other candidate. Since then, he's been re-elected 13 separate times.

During World War II, he served overseas for 26 months. He was 36 when he first took the bench.

The Town Court is small. Smith has handled lots of tickets over the years, and he has seen his fair share of drunken-driving cases. He has never had a murder case in his courtroom.

"It's just 50 years of aggravation and law breaking," he said at his home Friday.

He said he never really considered leaving his position. It provided him with some extra money-he worked in various machine shops around the area to earn most of his income-and allowed him to have reliable health insurance.

He will officially step down as town justice after Jan. 1, when a new justice will take his place. "I can't wait for those two months to get up now," he said.

John F. Keppler Jr. is the only candidate running for Smith's position. Joseph Dickenson Sr. is the town's other justice.

"The court system is getting so complicated," he said. "They change the laws every day."

The court's computers often fail, he said, and because of that, the court sometimes is unable to process tickets.

Still, Smith said he has truly enjoyed his job.

"[Not being a judge] is going to take getting used to," he said. "It's going to be different, because 50 years-it's just a little over half of my life."

At Saltsman's, Eleanor Smith pinned a flower on his lapel, in essence defining him as the star of the evening. The clerk had told Smith about a month earlier to keep the date clear on his calendar, although she did not tell him why. He soon learned about the party.

"I don't know what they're going to do without him," Town Assessor Penny Smith said. "He's been a judge as long as I can remember."

The assessor, the clerk and the justice share the same last name but are not related.

Justice Smith said he was appreciative of his recognition by the town. He thanked Ephratah residents for voting him into office so many times, and said he would not have been able to make it this far without them.

"It was fantastic that they gave me a little credit. You don't get a lot of credit for this job," Smith said. "When you get done with the people, they don't say, 'Thank you for taking my $150.'"

"I think the worst part of it is having to put some kid in jail."

One by one, Smith's friends and family praised the man, calling him a dedicated town worker and a good friend.

Former Long Lake Town Justice James McIntyre was at the event. McIntyre knows Smith from their days with the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery Magistrates Association, and said Smith came to his retirement party in 2002.

He said Long Lakers still talk about Smith's long trip up to the party.

"He's a wonderful man, and I consider it a real honor to know him all these years," said McIntyre.

Next year, Smith said, the Ephratah town justice will receive a $200 bonus, a raise he will not get. "I got out too quick," he said, a smile spreading across his face.

But in a sense, Smith said, he picked the right time to leave his post - he predicts a change coming in the way local courts are operated.

"They're going to do away with town judges," he said. "I'm sure of it. They're a figurehead. They're only there to collect money for the state."

He said he has worked hard at his job, however, in his time on the bench.

"I tried to be fair and equal with each and every one," he said.

Zach Subar can be reached by e-mail at ruralnews@leaderherald.com.