Casey McClain takes magisterial district judge seat

The seat in Centre County’s Magisterial District Court 49-02-01 has seen several changes in judges over the past two years.

Now Casey McClain will call that office home.

In a vote of 4,791 to 3,050 with all 91 precincts reporting, McClain, 40, took the district seat on the Democrat ticket from candidate Dave White, according to the Centre County elections office.

McClain is no stranger to the Centre County Courthouse, serving as a public defender and trial lawyer for 16 years, the CDT previously reported. McClain also educates as an adjunct professor of law at Penn State.

McClain was also endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 57, according to his website.

“A judge is elected to make tough legal decisions, to get the decisions correct and to do so with integrity,” he told the CDT. “As a practicing trial lawyer, I have represented clients thousands of times in court during my 14 years with the Public Defender Office. I have had 20 trials and even argued in the Superior Court multiple times.”

The court was formerly occupied by District Judge Leslie Dutchcot until her unexpected retirement in November 2015. In an attempt to fill the seat, District Judge Ronald Horner served in the office until his retirement in April.

Cambria County Senior District Judge Charity Nileski has served through the office since Horner’s departure. The district covers Ferguson, Halfmoon and Patton townships and the north and west voting districts of College Township.

Election results remain unofficial until certified by the Board of Elections.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 11:33 PM with the headline "Casey McClain takes magisterial district judge seat."