Michael E. Loney took a long weekend of forced retirement when the calendar shoved him out of his judicial chambers.
"I am statutorily senile," he said, referring to the state's requirement that judges retire when they reach age 70.
After 19-plus years on the bench, Loney packed up his judicial chambers on the fourth floor of the Anne Arundel County Courthouse and was gone July 16. Five days later, he was back. Like many judges around the state, he is working part time in retirement - balancing golf, travel and work around the house with work at the courthouse.
Lawyers say they are relieved that he is helping to settle cases behind the scenes and occasionally in the courtroom.
"He is a gentleman. He is just known as one of these fair and fine people," said Gene Whissel, a longtime lawyer in Annapolis.
Lawyers speak of his demeanor as an artful balance: patience, diplomacy and soft voice, coupled with clarity and direct words. The upshot, they say, is that their clients believe they have been treated well and their issues heard, even if they dislike Loney's decisions.
"It's an awkward combination. Not everyone can be diplomatic yet clear at the same time," said Annapolis lawyer Stephen Krohn.
Loney said his perspective is different: "For the last 20 years, the only courtroom I was in was mine. So I'm the smartest judge there. There's nobody to tell me I'm not."
Still, he said, it's a fantastic learning experience. A judge relies on lawyers to know their cases and case law. There's a lot to learn about people, there's criticism from the public in high-profile cases, and judges learn from seeing their rulings overturned on appeal.
Loney takes a particular interest in family law, a field avoided by many lawyers because divorce and custody cases are often emotional and some warring ex-partners return to court for years. But family matters, including adoptions, account for more than half of the court's daily work.
"It is an opportunity to help a lot of people - and children," he said.
The changing nature of family law - along with teaching it to University of Baltimore law students and in continuing education classes to practicing lawyers - keeps him doing legal research.
"Every bench needs someone who knows family law like Judge Loney," Krohn said.
Particularly noteworthy is his handling of adoptions, said attorney John R. Greene. He "understands that it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Greene said.
