EASTON, Pa. — Ed Smith, the former Northampton County judge who presided over the city's federal courthouse, has died.
Northampton County Court Administrator Jermaine Greene and Shana Restucci, Smith's law clerk, confirmed Tuesday morning that Smith passed away Monday night. He was 62 and lived in Plainfield Township.
Smith, a Republican, served 12 years on the Northampton County bench before being appointed as a federal judge in the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania in 2014.
Smith graduated from Easton Area High School before earning degrees from Franklin and Marshall College and the Dickinson School of Law. He furthered his education at the Naval Justice School, where he graduated first in his class.
Over a 30-year military career, he attained the rank of captain and served as the Commanding Officer of NR Naval Justice School.
While serving as a Northampton County judge in 2007, he took a leave of absence to serve an eight-month tour of duty in Iraq. There, he ensured due process rights of Iraqi detainees and assisted local officials in rebuilding their justice system after the fall of Saddam Hussein. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his service.
"By playing an active role in the legal community, and the community at large, Judge Smith fostered a better Northampton County," Northampton County President Judge Craig Dally said in a prepared statement.
Easton attorney Joe Corpora was a year behind Smith in high school, but they became close friends while attending Dickinson together, he said. They both returned to Northampton County where they raised their families together.
Smith was a public servant who guarded his private life, he said. Corpora said he treasured moments when his friend of 40 years would let his hair down, like when the almost always impeccably dressed Smith donned a Barney the dinosaur costume for a children's birthday party.
"Most people knew him as an officer and a gentleman," Corpora said. "It was good to see that side of him."
"This sounds corny, but he had an undying love of his country and dedication to his country. But he also had an unwavering dedication to the law and public service."Pa. Superior Court Judge Jack Panella
Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Jack Panella, who served alongside Smith when they were both Northampton County Court judges, remembered his former colleague as a judge's lawyer — friendly and patient but fair.
"This sounds corny, but he had an undying love of his country and dedication to his country. But he also had an unwavering dedication to the law and public service," Panella said.
Panella recalled Smith wasn't afraid of passing down harsh sentences that went beyond judicial guidelines when he felt the situation demanded it. A child rapist once appeared before Smith on charges of possessing child pornography. Smith sentenced him to up to 232 years in state prison. When an appellate court struck down the sentence as unduly harsh, Smith sentenced him to 50 to 110 years in state prison. That sentence stuck.
"We both shared the philosophy of protecting victims," Panella said. "He believed in protecting the public from dangerous people."
Emil Giordano, a retired Northampton County judge who served with Smith, was blindsided by the loss. When Giordano was elected a judge in 2004, Smith was the only other Republican on the bench. While their Democratic colleagues welcomed him, he built an instant rapport with Smith. In their 20 years of friendship, Giordano said he could only recall Smith mad once. The rest of the time, he was the same even-handed, calm, personable man the public saw in the courtroom.
"I modeled my entire judicial career on Ed Smith," said a distraught Giordano.
"He was just a good man, and God took him way too soon."
Smith is survived by his wife Jennifer Ireland; his sons Michael Smith, Benjamin Smith and David Smith; stepsons Zachery and Luke Miller; his father Paul Smith; four brothers and a sister.
