ANNE REINER/Sun-Gazette Lycoming County Judge Dudley N. Anderson is pictured on Friday. He is beginning his last year on the bench.

A recent state constitutional amendment vote allows a longstanding Lycoming County judge to sit on the bench for one more year.

Judge Dudley N. Anderson was set to retire at the end of 2016, but after a statewide vote on Nov. 8 amended the constitution to increase the retirement age for judges from 70 to 75, he decided to stay until the end of 2017 and finish his term.

Even though the vote changed his retirement plans, Anderson said he agreed with it.

“I know personally there are a lot of very good judges who are forced to retire at 70 that still have a lot of experience and wisdom that they have gained through the years,” he said.

Anderson turned 70 in July and has spent over 40 years practicing law, with 19 of those years as a judge.

“I’m completing my 19th year today,” Anderson said on Friday. “As you get older time goes faster. All of a sudden I wake up one day and I’m 70.”

While Anderson was ready and willing to step down from the bench and into retirement, he decided that staying one more year would allow the county a “seamless transition” between judges.

Stepping down early would have meant the courthouse would lack a judge for the entire year, pushing through only with visiting judges. Anderson deals mainly with civil cases but also handles criminal dockets when the need arises. He said the courthouse currently is able to deal with civil cases quickly and they “do not languish here.”

“It would be a shame to have that run backward because we lost the position,” Anderson said.

With the new amendment, Anderson now will finish out his term and an election will be held this year for the open judge position.

There have been no official announcements by candidates seeking the position, but Anderson said he is sure a good replacement will be found.

“We have a pool of excellent attorneys, a number of whom are well equipped to do this job to a high standard,” he said.