After 44 years in the legal profession, and more than a dozen on the bench in McKean County Court, Judge Christopher Hauser has retired.

A graduate of Bradford High, Hauser obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Washington and Jefferson College, and attended the Dickinson School of Law, where he obtained his juris doctorate.

From there, he came back to Bradford.

“I had opportunities to go elsewhere but I did not want to work the hours that would be required of an associate in a large law firm,” Hauser said. “And I wanted more inter-client interaction than I would have gotten in a big law firm.”

He had worked over the summer at the Bradford law firm of McDowell, McDowell, Wick & Daly between his second and third years of law school, he said. “I enjoyed that experience.”

He was offered a job at the Bradford firm, which he accepted.

“In those days the money wasn’t all that different,” the judge explained. “My starting salary, I recall, was $13,000 and in Pittsburgh was $25,000. Now the discrepancies today are significantly greater.”

From 2000 to 2006, Hauser served as Bradford’s district judge, while continuing to maintain his law practice.

“In private practice, I did mostly real estate and business law,” he explained. “When I built my practice, I stopped doing family law” like divorces, support and custody actions.

When elected to the McKean County Court of Common Pleas, he was assigned by President Judge John Pavlock to handle family law matters.

“All family law in McKean County has been done by me for the last 13 years,” he said. “I didn’t do a lot of that when I was in private practice.”

That was a big change for him.

“As a private practitioner I enjoyed business law the most,” Hauser said. As judge, that has changed. “I enjoyed juvenile law the most.”

Juvenile delinquency and juvenile dependency makeup juvenile law. Hauser was assigned all juvenile delinquency cases, “which in layperson’s terms, are the criminal cases.” He also handled the cases where a child was adjudicated dependent — which were dual status cases, both dependent and delinquent.

He worked extensively with the county’s Juvenile Probation Department, which he lauded for their excellence.

“I enjoyed my experience working with them, and with the youth,” Hauser said.

“The purpose of delinquency law is not to sanction for a delinquent act, but is to give the juvenile the life skills to become a productive member of society. You’re always happy down the road to see one of your kids become successful. That gives me the greatest enjoyment.”

The judge added, “They say the most difficult day a judge has is when he terminates parental rights. And the best day a judge has is when he is able to approve an adoption. I’ve done both.”

He’s accomplished a great deal in his career, but what more would one expect from an Eagle Scout whose parents taught him community pride and volunteerism by example?

“My parents were both very active in volunteerism,” Hauser shared with The Era. “My father was very active in the American Red Cross. They both were very active in the church.

“My mother for years was involved with community outreach, the food program that was held for children,” he explained, giving as an example the Wednesday meals the Episcopal church would serve to children. “My mother was active in a variety of other community activities,” Hauser added.

“I also think it’s a community responsibility as an attorney, to use some of those skills you have to better your community.”

While maintaining a private law practice in Bradford, Hauser did a great deal of volunteer work for economic development in the community. As a judge, his focus turned to educating others on the challenging Pennsylvania juvenile law.

“I became very active in the juvenile section of the state conferences of state trial court judges. I have been on the faculty of two juvenile justice academies,” Hauser said. “I have authored one of the chapters of the current judicial juvenile delinquency benchbook, chapter 8 on adjudications. I’m now in the midst of revising that chapter of the benchbook, which is used by all the judges in the state.”

He is one of a handful of judges in the state who holds a certificate in Judicial Development General Jurisdiction Trial skills from the National Judicial College (NJC). Twice he attended the NJC as a facilitator/mentor for new judges. “I will return again in October for a third time.”

Hauser hasn’t decided to hang up his robe and gavel. He’s applied to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts to be considered as a senior judge. His intention is to clean up some matters he was unable to finish before his retirement at the end of April, and then to be available in the fall for assignments from the AOPC.

As for retirement plans, he and his wife, Virginia Digel Hauser, may decide to travel some, but there’s nothing planned at the moment. One thing is for sure — the couple is staying in Bradford.

“There’s a lot to be said about living here,” the judge said. “The pluses far outweigh the cons.”

Prior to Hauser’s time on the bench, his volunteerism encompassed many agencies.

He was instrumental in the establishment of the City of Bradford’s Office of Economic and Community Development, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Allegheny Research and Development Center and the Bradford Area Alliance – organizations that have helped to create jobs and to promote the relocation of new businesses to the area.

“When I became a Common Pleas judge, I began the process of withdrawing from my volunteer work because I had to make sure I didn’t have conflicts,” Hauser explained.

He had served on the boards of Bradford Regional Medical Center, Evergreen Elm Inc., Bradford Downtown Revitalization Corp., Bradford Redevelopment Authority, Bradford Economic Development Corp., and Continental 1.

He has served as chairman of the Bradford Area United Way’s annual fundraising campaign, as well as serving as the board president and chairman of allocations. He has been involved in the Boy Scouts of America for many years, is an Eagle Scout and is the past president of the Allegheny Highlands Council BSA. He is also past director and officer of the Mental Health Association of Pennsylvania.