In his 24 years as Williams County Juvenile/Probate Court judge, Steven R. Bird has touched thousands of lives amid a significant shift in how the justice system handles juvenile offenders.
Bird is retiring as of the end of the year, ending a long run as judge that he initially didnât plan on. When former Judge Harry J. Rigdon announced his retirement in 1996, Bird said a number of people suggested that he should run for the office.
He said that idea âtook a while took sink in,â especially since he was âjust hitting his stride,â as a general practice attorney and partner at the Newcomer and Shaffer law firm in Bryan.