Pomp and circumstance was the theme of the evening last night as the state-wide election winners were sworn in on Inauguration Night. We were especially privileged to have the Honorable William J. Young of the United States District Court in Boston preside over the swearing in ceremony.

Judge Young has had a lengthy and very distringuished career in public service, starting when he served as a captain in the United States Army from 1962 until 1964. He attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Judge Young has worked in the legal field since 1967, and he was a Massachusetts Superior Court Judge before being appointed to the federal judiciary by President Reagan in 1985.

Perhaps the most well-known of Judge Young’s criminal cases was the 2002/03 trial of Richard Reid, known also as the “shoe bomber”. At Reid’s sentencing, Judge Young delivered what has become a rather famous statement which has been widely disseminated on the internet; there are many places to find/read it, including Wikipedia at this link:

Richard Reid Sentencing Statement

Judge Young was eloquently introduced by Eric Christofferson, who was elected Governor when he attended Boys’ State in 1993 and has been a member of the Boys’ State counselor staff ever since. Eric is now an accomplished attorney in Boston. After graduating from law school in 2002, Eric clerked for Judge Young and was in the courtroom when Reid’s sentence was imposed.

INTRODUCTION:

SOME WORDS FROM JUDGE YOUNG:

SWEARING IN CEREMONY: