Criminal Court Judge David Patterson announced his retirement Thursday morning.
Patterson said his 13-year career on the bench will officially come to an end June 30th.
“I sent a letter to the Governor yesterday to let him know that I’m looking forward to retiring at the end of June,” Patterson said. “I am very happy to be doing that. I have a family that I’m looking forward to spending time with and I’m looking forward to spending my retirement money.”
Patterson spent 35 years serving the 13th Judicial District, including 16 years as a prosecutor and seven years as the Putnam County Youth Services Officer.
Governor Bill Lee will be charged with appointing someone to replace Patterson. A committee will recommend three names for Governor Lee to choose from.
The person selected to fill the position would run for election in 2020 in order to finish out the final two years of Patterson’s term. The next general election for the seat would be held in 2022.