Benchmark for local judge

Elizabeth McNamara is sworn in last week as the new Municipal Court judge in Harrison. Standing with her are her two sons, Colin and Kieran McNamara. Administering the oath of office is Mayor Raymond McDonough.

 

By Ron Leir

HARRISON – This town is losing another of its municipal leaders. Falling fast on the heels of the Aug. 1 departure of Fire Chief Tom Dolaghan is the retirement of Municipal Court
Judge John M. Johnson. Johnson, who has presided for some 15 years, goes off the town payroll Sept. 1, although he has already yielded his duties on the bench to Elizabeth McNamara, who has been the municipal prosecutor for the past two decades.
McNamara was sworn in as the new judge Aug. 2.
“I hit 62 two weeks ago,” Johnson said, during an interview in his court office last week, “and with all the budgetary constraints Harrison has been going through, my retirement is going to save the town money, since my salary is $83,000 and Betsy will be making around $50,000.”

To read the full story, see this week’s issue of The Observer.

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