LEWISBURG, Pa. — The courtroom inside the Union County Courthouse was packed on Tuesday, but not for a trial. Folks were there to see Brian Kerstetter sworn in as Union County's new district attorney.
Kerstetter follows in the footsteps of Pete Johnson, his mentor, who served as Union County district attorney for seven terms.
"It's very exciting for me to be able to carry on Pete Johnson's legacy to close out his chapter of being District Attorney for 27 years and start mine," Kerstetter said.
Pete Johnson died in October, just a few months before he was set to retire.
Johnson's wife Paula stood next to Kerstetter as he was sworn in.
"This was the day that Pete would have retired. We had a lot of plans, and life just didn't work out that way. But I'm glad I can be here to honor Pete's wishes," Paula Swett said.
Swett brought her late husband's bible to be used at Kerstetter's ceremony.
"I knew that he would like to share his bible for the swearing-in and to be a part of that, and so I'm the stand-in," Swett said.
"To be able to place my hand on Pete's bible and take the oath of office was just another huge honor that made the day special," Kerstetter said.
Brian Kerstetter was the first assistant district attorney in Snyder County for 17 years and has held that same position in Union County since last January.