Carbon County District Judge Edward Lewis received special recognition on Monday during the county's annual swearing-in ceremony in courtroom one of the courthouse in Jim Thorpe.

Lewis, who serves as DJ for District 56-3-01, with his office in Jim Thorpe, announced he is retiring from his position after serving for over 30 years. Lewis will step down at the beginning of February, but his retirement will be short-lived as he will serve as a senior district judge and has already agreed to help in the county until a replacement is appointed for him.Lewis received a plaque from President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II during the ceremonies. Nanovic thanked Lewis for his many years of service to the county and his dedication to the position. Nanovic noted that district judges put in long hours as their case load has increased considerably over the years as the criminal case load has increased as a whole in the county.Lewis told the 250 plus attending the program that he was only as good as is staff and added, "That means I was very good."Lewis' district covers the boroughs of Jim Thorpe, Lehighton and Weissport, and the townships of Penn Forest and the voting district Packerton/Jamestown in Mahoning. Lewis is currently serving his fifth six-year term after his appointment. He was sworn into office in July 1986. His term expires at the end of 2017. The governor will have to appoint a replacement to finish the term, and that appointment must be approved by the state senate.Lewis is a lifetime resident of Jim Thorpe, the son of the late Ethel and Daniel McLean. He is married to the former Alicia Lienhard Schrantz and has two sons, Edward and wife Samantha of Monticello, Minnesota, and the late Jared (Butch). He also has two stepsons, Eric Schrantz and wife Kristin of Jim Thorpe and Jared (J.J.) Schrantz and wife Laura of Whitehall.