這是偉恩之堡(Waynesburg)的現任法官"鐵利葛曼” Terry Grimes 。
1985年上任至今共22年。
我仍記得他第一次競選時，在Fair ground舉辦烤雞籌款活動。
外子和他是共和黨員。我是民主黨員。
我第一個拿支票給他，贊助買些烤雞去送朋友。
並預祝他高票當選! 我家還讓他插競選海報。
我們一直都很支持他。保持很好的友誼。 所以我現在和他合照一張相片。
他那時才42歲。他是律師出身，是個虔誠教友也是個養牛農戶。
但他說第一個1861被任派的本地法官"林謝" (Lindsey)最年輕，上任時才34歲。可惜只當三年就病死啦。
這是他的第三任期。 法官每任是十年。他還有8 年才會期滿退休。
他是本地唯一任期三十年的法官。
本地是一面倒民主黨的地盤。
他是第二個被選上的共合黨法官。
本地1998才開始有兩個法官，以前都是只有一個法官。
大部份的法官都是本地人出身，且是本地Waynesburg大學畢業生。
Terry Grimes 卻不是本地大學畢業的。
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順便記下我的兩個小故事:
我有一年有位女經神科醫師的美國朋友生病了。
"麥樂麗"的女兒那時候住美國西岸無法回來看她。
我特為她煮了好大一鍋，夠吃三天的熱騰騰的雞湯麵。
我還深怕雞湯打翻了一車子。
請大女兒用大毛巾包著雞湯抱在腿上，和我開車送去。
那知她家很偏遠，我只顧和女兒聊天忘了一個小差路須左轉。
就越開越荒郊野外的開到一戶農莊去了。
當年也沒有手機， 只好下車去敲門借用電話。
打開門竟然是法官夫人"卡洛淋"，
她常邀我去她家玩。 可是我都不知她家如何去?
這回誤打誤闖的就真的出現在她家門口了。
她還笑說:"是甚麼風把妳吹來啦?"
原來是急於借電話而已。
我女兒說幸好問到路了，她腿都要被燙熟啦!
問明原由弄清路途就此謝別。
現在若叫我再去法官家我也不會走了。
好玩吧!
還有一回路上看到陌生年輕貧女，雙手提重物向我招車。
我停車搖下車窗。
她馬上說她搭便車出來買菜，拜託我順路帶她到城中區。
其實就要到我家了，而且我也不去城中區。
可是我心軟，看她提了四包五磅重的麵粉和一些食品。
換上是我也會希望有人相助。就載她到城中區。
她上車很安靜不太講話。
我問她要在那裡下車，她才簡短答話。
可是那天下午五點十分到城中區。
她四下張望說:"沒有看到法官出現。他回家了!"
我心想是怎麼一回事?
原來她住很遠的地方，家窮沒車代步。
丈夫又生病，他們領救濟金過活。
聽說店裡麵粉廉售就搭過路便車來買幾包。
她說有時出來打零工替人清掃房子後，
就走到城中區法院前面等法官下班出來。
求他讓她搭順風車到她家附近可以少走很長一段路。
我聽了好人做到底，就自告奮勇要送她回去。
由19轉21公路，越開越遠。
我心理只是同情她提重物，完全沒提防她會不會是壞人?
可是她也自卑的說"因為很窮，也沒有勇氣交任何朋友"
"都是攔便車或硬撐的走遠路幾小時出來打工，否則日子沒法過。"
這法官每次看到她獨走在公路都會停車讓她搭便車。
她一直只知道他是法官連他叫甚名字都不敢問。
她很感激我願意送她這麼遠，省掉她少走幾小時路。
她怕我路不熟悉，開半小時了就請我讓她下車。
說她可以邊走邊站路邊再攔下一部順路車。
我說不要緊我可以送她回去。
她說:"不用了! 我住處很破舊妳不要看的!"
至今仍然記得她低頭自卑的背影在荒郊野外遠去。
當時我心裡替她的貧困很難過，
也意外的發現我們這個法官默默的在幫助窮人!
更慶幸自己雖一生平凡，卻從未為生活而奔波受苦!
可以謝天謝地啦!!
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"Roll of the Judges"
1796-1803 -- Alexander Addison
1803-1818 -- Samuel Roberts
1818-1838 -- Thomas H. Baird
1838-1848 -- Nathaniel Ewing
1848-1861 -- Samuel A. Gilmore
1861-1864 -- James Lindsey
1864-1865 -- Nathaniel Ewing
1865-1874 -- Samuel A. Gilmore
1874-1883 -- Alpheus Wilson
1883-1887 -- James Inghram
1887-1893 -- Nathaniel Ewing
1893-1896 -- Stephen L. Mestrezat
"Judicial District #13
Greene County Court of Common Pleas"
1896-1906 -- R. L. Crawford
1906-1916 -- James Inghram
1916-1926 -- J. Warren Ray
1926-1936 -- A. H. Sayers
1936-1946 -- Challen W. Waychoff
1946-1966 -- John Inghram Hook
1966-1986 -- Glenn R. Toothman, Jr.
1986-? -- H. Terry Grimes
1998-? -- William R. Nalitz
Before Greene County introduced a second judge in 1998, H. Terry Grimes was found of pointing out that he was only the county's third judge in more than 50 years.
Lengthy tenures, combined with Greene County's longtime status of only having one judge, means that only 16 men served behind the bench since the county was formed in 1796.
Judge Grimes discussed those judges at Cornerstone Genealogical Society meeting Tuesday. Oil paintings depicting many of those judges hang in courtroom 1 of the Greene County Courthouse.
"I get more questions about who are in those pictures than I do about any of my cases." Grimes said.
"The First Court" ... Greene County was a part of the Fifth Judicial District of the Commonwealth and the President Judge was Alexander Addison of Pittsburgh who continued to hold court here, with the help of associate justices.
The first judge, Alexander Addison , acturally presided over cases in Geene, Washington, Fayette and Somerset counties. Since Western Pennsylvania was sparsely populated at that time, one judge would travel the area that encompassed the judicial district. Greene County was allowed to have its own judge in 1887.
To help the president judge rule on cases, two associate lay judges from the community would assist and help the president judge better understand the premise of each case, as well as the individualas involved, Grimes said.
The arrangement led to the demise of Allison's career since he was impeached seven years after he took office. In 1803, Allison told the jury to disregard the remarks of an associate judge named Lucas.
Lucas apporently didn't appreciate the rebuff and used his political connections to have Allison impeached, Grimes said.
The first Greene County nativie to serve as judge in the multi-county area was James Lindsey, who is a descendent of some of the first settlers in the county.
"I know when I was elected in 1985, (at the age of 42), some people thought that I was rather young for that office,"Grimes said."But, Judge Lindsey was only 34 years of age when he became judge."
Unfortunately, the young judge was able to serve only three years. He became ill with bilious fever in 1864 while presiding over cases in Washington. His health grew even more dire as he traveled back to his home of Waynesburg. Lindey died a short time later.
Sephen leslie Mestrezat of Mapletown served from 1893 to 1896. He has the distinction of being the only judge from this area to ascend to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
one of the most notorious elections for county judge occurred in 1905 between incumbent Judge R. Crawford and James Inghram, who was trying for a second term as judge after serving in the 1880s.
Grimes said that many consider that election is responsible for bringing down the Farmers and Drovers Bank, since many campaign contributions flowed through that bank but were not distributed properly.
Judges of more recent years include Judge A.H. Sayers, who served from 1926-36, as the first of only two Republican judges elected in Greene County.
Grimes is the second Republican judge.
Judge John Inghram Hook succeeded Sayers. Hook was the last judge to acquires his career in law through an apprenticesship. The more recent judge attended law school, Grimes said.
Glenn Toothman, who served 20 years as judge, is Grimes' immediate predecessor. He was a student of history and also nurtured interests in art and writing. Grimes said that toothman published at least five books or pamphlets. Toothman died on 11-18-2001 at age 90.
Grimes was elected in 1985 and voters retained him twice, in 1995 and in 2005. judge William Nalitz is the first "second "judge in the county, a position has held since 1998.
