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Judicial Edge
Bench takes the bench

By Hon. Andrew Bench

I grew up wanting to be a lawyer but not because of my name.

When I first ran for office, my name was really a source of fun for some. The local paper covered my announcement with the headline “Bench Seeks Bench,” and when I was elected, the headline was just “Benched.”

The attorneys who appear in my court take some obvious pleasure in asking to “approach the bench,” and when I call others in the profession, particularly other judges, I have to follow my name with “believe it or not.”

Andrew Bench was first elected judge of the 196th Judicial District Court in Greenville, Texas, in 2014 and is currently serving his second term.

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