Morrone's Hosts Annual Banquet

LLA Recognizes Retiring Magistrate Judges Carn and Sortman

The Annual Banquet was held at a historic, but new, venue this year. Morrone's banquet facility offered drinks, hors d'oeuvre and a terrific dinner to LLA members and guests on Monday, January 11.

Members were recognized for their pro bono service, as usual, with the Elion, Wayne, Grieco, Carlucci & Shipman, P.C. firm winning the Honorable Thomas Wood Jr. Equal Access to Justice Award. Members Bob Elion and Bill Carlucci were present to accept the honor from PBA Pro Bono Coordinator David Trevaskis. Campana, Hoffa Morrone & Lovecchio, Carpenter, Harris, and Flayhart, Dinges, Dinges, and Waltz, Drier and Dieter Law Offices , Elion, Wayne, Grieco, Carlucci, and Shipman, Kilgus Law Firm, Law Firm of J. Howard Langdon and John Pietrovito, Greevy and Taylor Law Offices , Mitchell Gallagher, P.C., Murphy, Butterfield, and Holland, P.C., Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Waters, and Dohrmann, Steinbacher & Stahl, Susquehanna Law Group, Inc., and Waffenschmidt Law Firm received Outstanding Law Firm Achievement awards. The LLA also recognized 93 Lycoming County attorneys who handled 212 pro bono cases for the Williamsport Office of North Penn Legal Services in 2015.

The highlight of the evening was the recognition of two long serving Magistrate Judges who retired at the end of 2015. Judge James Sortman had served in the position for 30 years. He had also served as a deputy sheriff and as a municipal police officer for 11 years prior to his election. Judge James Carn was a Magistrate Judge for 18 years, after serving as a city police officer for 25 years. Combined, the two honorees served the community for 84 years.

The judges regaled the assembly with interesting and humorous stories from their years in public life. Judge Carn related a story from his days as a police officer, where he offered a possibly intoxicated driver the opportunity to take a "breathalyzer" test. The response from the obviously unaffected driver was, "damn right I'll take a Budweiser." Judge Sortman related a story about the hospitality offered to him by one member of the bar, when his wife was ill.

Both Magistrate Judges were given plaques recognizing their public service.