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WILKES-BARRE — Things are a little bit different around the Luzerne County Courthouse, with Michael T. Vough sworn in Monday morning as president judge during a ceremony under the historic building’s ornate rotunda.
Vough’s swearing-in came as part of a batch of administrations of oaths Monday, as several members of the Luzerne County court system were sworn in to new terms.
Besides Vough being officially appointed to the position of president judge, Luzerne County Judge Tina Polachek Gartley and Magisterial District Judges Joseph D. Zola, Michael. G. Dotzel and Alexandra Kokura Kravitz all swore their oaths of office once again.
The focus of the ceremony, though, was largely Vough’s replacement of now former President Judge Richard M. Hughes III, who had served his term as president judge for the past five years. Vough was recently selected by the county judges to replace Hughes at the end of his term in the head judge position.
Before Vough was sworn in as president judge, Zola, who is himself president of the magisterial district judges for the county, spoke thanking Hughes for his years of service in the position.
“I want to thank President Judge Hughes for an outstanding job for the past five years,” Zola said. According to Zola, Hughes had always been receptive to answering questions — even when he had to call Hughes in the early morning hours.
“Never once did he say, ‘Zola, are you crazy?’” he joked.
After Vough was sworn in by the Honorable Joseph M. Augello, himself a former president judge, Vough also thanked Hughes for his efforts.
“He made our court the envy of many courts in our state,” Vough said, praising Hughes. But he did add a playful jab at Zola, laughing, “But I’m not gonna let Zola call me at 3 o’clock in the morning.”
Toward the end of his comments, the typically stern Vough grew emotional, thanking his family members, including his now late parents, who he said adopted him from a California orphanage when he was only 18 months old.
Vough also thanked his wife, Cindy.
“She is the rock of our family, the love of my life,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”
The newly-elected president judge promised to continue Hughes’ work, improving “the quality of justice for the citizens of Luzerne County.”
“(The judges) showed a lot of confidence in me to be their leader for the next five years,” he said. “I’m not gonna let them down.”