Criminal Court Judge David Patterson announced his retirement Thursday morning.

Patterson said his 13-year career on the bench will officially come to an end June 30th.

Patterson spent 35 years serving the 13th Judicial District, including 16 years as a prosecutor and seven years as the Putnam County Youth Services Officer.

Governor Bill Lee will be charged with appointing someone to replace Patterson. A committee will recommend three names for Governor Lee to choose from.

The person selected to fill the position would run for election in 2020 in order to finish out the final two years of Patterson’s term. The next general election for the seat would be held in 2022.