Trumbull swearing-in produced tears

WARREN — One officeholder became teary-eyed as he talked about the death of former President Ford. A judge received the oath of office from his wife — and another said this would be his last term in office.

In front of hundreds of onlookers, eight officials were sworn in to office Wednesday in the largest courtroom in Ohio, Judge Andrew Logan’s in the Trumbull County Courthouse.

All eight were elected in November to terms in office that begin in the coming weeks: state Reps. Thomas B.J. Letson, D-64th, and Sandra Stabile Harwood, D-65th; common pleas Judges Logan and John M. Stuard of the general division and Pamela Rintala of the domestic and juvenile division; Judge Ronald Rice of Eastern District Court; and county Commissioner Frank Fuda and Auditor Adrian Biviano.

Letson teared up as he talked about Ford, who died Tuesday at age 93. “He said politics is an honorable profession, and I believe that,” Letson said after being sworn in by retired Common Pleas and 11th District Court of Appeals Judge Robert A. Nader.

Judge Rice had the distinction of being sworn in by his wife, Judge Cynthia Rice of the 11th District Court of Appeals, and was surrounded by his children, son Tyler and daughters Madison and Morgan.

Judge Stuard said this will be his final term as a common pleas judge; he also was a county court judge for several years. Judge Stuard said law prohibits him from running for judge again when this next six-year term concludes in 2013.

A judge cannot run for office after his 70th birthday, the 67-year-old   Stuard said.

Stabile-Harwood, entering her third term as state representative, said she was being sworn in locally for the first time, having handled the matter in Columbus the other two times. She said she hopes the people of her district will become educated about the work being done “in the people’s House” in Columbus.

Before Judge Peter Kontos handled the swearing in for Biviano, he noted that a local newspaper endorsement said Biviano could do everything but walk on water. “And he deserves it all,” Judge Kontos said.

Soon-to-retire Judge Donald R. Ford of the 11th District Court of Appeals handled the swearing in for Fuda, saying his collegial and cooperative spirit will be beneficial to county government.

“I feel comfortable we’re going to make a lot of changes that are going to make Trumbull County a better place,” Fuda said.

Judge Logan thanked his parents and said they helped teach him that getting up at 6 a.m. to milk cows was not the way to make a living.

Judge Rintala was sworn in by retired Common Pleas Judge Mitchell F. Shaker.