Rome is seeking city court judge

Rome’s Municipal Court Chief Judge Jason Lewis is stepping down after 11 years on the bench to take a position with the Social Security Administration.

Lewis said Wednesday that his last day would be Oct. 13.

“It’s been an honor to serve as a city judge for over a decade. I’ve really enjoyed it and I learned a lot,” he said. “Making a move is the best thing for our family at this time.”

The municipal court rules on violations of city ordinances. Lewis said traffic citations make up about 80 percent of the caseload.

“We also hear civil cases, like building code violations and illegal dumping,” he said.

Lewis presides most of the time, but local attorney J.J. Seifert was appointed as an associate judge last year to serve if he has a conflict or is otherwise unavailable. Seifert is one of 15 candidates for seven open Rome Board of Education seats in the Nov. 9 election.

City Manager Sammy Rich said Wednesday he’s in the process of finding a permanent replacement for Lewis.

The Rome attorney started as an associate judge in 2006 and became chief judge in 2015. He’ll be an administrative law judge for the Social Security Administration, hearing eligibility appeals.

Lewis said he’ll be based in the agency’s Florence, Alabama, office. But he and his wife, Stephanie Lewis, and their four children will still live in Rome.

“I’ll be commuting for a while, until I find something closer,” he said.

Though he’s planning a vacation the first week of October, while his children are out of school on break, Lewis said he’ll be on the bench through the following week.