Before a standing room only crowd of over 300 people and a crisply uniformed color guard, a gavel banged Jan. 6 and Northampton County's entire judicial bench entered into historic Courtroom One. Despite the portraits of dour jurists who are long since gone, President Judge Stephen Baratta assured his audience they were all there for a "family occasion."

To be sure, dignitaries galore were in the courtroom, including state representatives, state senators and Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller. But husbands, wives and children were there too, to see the persons they love take an oath that might sometimes make service to the public take priority over family.

John Brown was sworn in as Northampton County's seventh county executive. Mat Benol, Peg Ferraro, Glenn Geissinger, Hayden Phillips and Seth Vaughn took the oath as members of county council. The oath of office was also administered to magisterial district judges Antonia Grifo (downtown Easton), Dan Corpora (South Easton), John Capobianco (Nazareth) and Pat Romig-Passaro (Bethlehem).

Courtroom One and the entire bench provided the dignity, and the pomp and circumstance came courtesy of the Corrections' Officer Color Guard, which includes a bagpiper.

Much like John Stoffa, the person he succeeds, Brown had little to say. But he stressed the need for everyone to work together.

"I am here to serve," he concluded.

President Judge Baratta reminded everyone of Theodore Roosevelt's words that "[t]he object of government is the welfare of the people." He also repeated Pope Francis' admonitions that public office requires both a love for people and humility. Finally, he cautioned magisterial district judges about the importance of being fair.

Though Northampton County has 33,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, it now has a Republican executive, a Republican county council and even a Republican judiciary.