District Judge Lawrence “Larry” T. Silvis will pound his gavel for the last time Oct. 14, after 14 years as the Grove City area magistrate.

He is the third of Mercer County’s five magistrates in a week to announce plans to retire this year. Also leaving their posts are James McMahon, Sharon, and William L. Fagley, Greenville.

Silvis, 60, of Sandy Lake Township, took the bench Jan. 3, 1994. His current term was to expire the first Monday of 2012.

“Most people don’t understand the position,” Silvis said. “Ten percent is handling cases and 90 percent is administrative. If you don’t accomplish that, you don’t meet the needs of the people you’re representing. The person coming in has to think of that.”

Silvis spent a lifetime in law enforcement, including 11 years as a state policeman, eight years as director of public safety at Allegheny College in Meadville, a year as a criminal civil investigator with Allegheny Power Systems in Greensburg, and five years as director of public safety at the Behrend College of Penn State in Erie.

Silvis also is a former adjunct faculty member at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Mercyhurst College in Erie.

“Larry has brought a lot of experience to the bench, which has helped him very much in working with adults, juveniles and students,” said Mercer County President Judge Francis J. Fornelli.

“He’s extremely hard-working and has an uncommon amount of good sense. He has a lot of skills, and his work ethic and character has made him an outstanding district justice,” Fornelli said.

By far, Scott Dunn’s preliminary hearing – which took three days – was Silvis’ hardest, he said. “It was one of the few cases that the evidence was 90 percent circumstantial.”

Dunn eventually pleaded guilty to killing his 22-year-old wife, Brandon “Brandi” Montgomery Dunn in January 2006, then covering up the crime by burning her body in her parents’ Grove City home.

William S. Williams, state police trooper with the Mercer barracks, praised Silvis’ ethic.

“He’s always been fair and balanced in how he’s treated citizens. In the courtroom, he’s always been professional,” Williams said. “I’ll miss him as someone I look up to.”

Silvis’ staff talked about his work with some of the area’s troubled youths.

“He follows them, calling them up to see how they’re doing. If their grades are going bad, he’ll call them in and talk to them,” said Sue Tomson, senior procedures clerk.

“I’ve seen him handle them better than most ministers.”