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NORRISTOWN — Describing his ascension to the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas as “a homecoming,” Ambler lawyer Daniel G. Ronca recalled his family’s strong ties to Norristown, the county seat.
“As I was thinking about this day, I could not help but view my joining this court in this place as a homecoming. I am coming home to the borough in which I was born. I am coming home to this fine courthouse where I first got a chance to see our judicial system in action,” Ronca, 62, addressed a packed courtroom on Monday at his swearing-in ceremony.
“I want to thank those who came before me, my great-grandfather and great-grandmother, my grandfather and grandmother, my mother and father, none of whom are with us in body today, hopefully in spirit, but without whom I would not be here,” Ronca said.
Borrowing a phrase from Sir Isaac Newton, Ronca added, “I truly stand on the shoulders of giants.”
Ronca recalled his great-grandfather settled in the borough when he came to the U.S. in the 1880s from Italy.
“I am coming home to the borough in which his son, my grandfather, founded and built a small business, reportedly the first bar opened in Norristown after Prohibition,” Ronca said lightheartedly, eliciting laughter from spectators.
During a more serious moment, Ronca added his father, the eldest of eight siblings who grew up on East Main Street, was a student in the 1930s, who along with his friends, organized a successful boycott of a store that refused to serve one of those friends, the “late, great Honorable Horace Davenport,” who went on to become the first African American judge to sit on the county bench from 1976 to 2003.
As his wife, Heather, held the Bible on which he placed his hand, Ronca took the oath of office administered by Judge Daniel J. Clifford.
Ronca’s children, Andrew, Julia and Grace assisted their father with his robing.
A standing room only crowd erupted with thunderous applause as Ronca took his seat on the county bench. Ronca initially will preside in family court.
Ronca was elected judge in November and fills a vacancy left by the December 2022 retirement of Judge Gary S. Silow.
“I have long wished to join what I consider the finest Common Pleas bench in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania because I have seen this court as the best place for me to serve the people of this county,” Ronca said.
During his remarks, Ronca thanked his wife for her “37 years of love and support.” Ronca also thanked his children and his former law partners, Cheryl Sattin and Carol Cornelison for their support.
Ronca, who graduated from Wissahickon High School and is a graduate of Temple University School of Law, most recently was a partner with the law firm Sattin Ronca & Cornelison. Ronca previously served as a criminal prosecutor, as a civil litigation attorney, and as a family lawyer and routinely served as an arbitrator, mediator, and parenting coordinator in family law matters.
Sattin, Ronca’s law partner of 15 years, told the crowd that while Ronca’s legal experience certainly qualifies him to be a judge it is his good character that she most admires.
“Dan is honorable and he’s loyal and he’s a man of integrity and he doesn’t break his promises,” Sattin said. “He honors his commitments and he works incredibly hard to pull his weight without exception. That has remained true for as long as I’ve known Dan and that high moral character is what he brings to the bench. Another attribute he brings to the bench is his compassion. He listens to people. He looks for what might bring people together instead of focusing on points that divide us.”
Judge Thomas M. DelRicci said Ronca’s 23 colleagues on the bench welcome him “with open hearts and great anticipation.”
“He is one of us,” said DelRicci, referring to Ronca’s decades-long law career in the county. “As an attorney, Judge Ronca has appeared before every one of the judges but one on this bench. So he knows this court. He knows our judicial system. He knows our lawyers. He knows the needs of our community and the needs of our judicial system. And together with his intelligence, his compassion and his work ethic there’s no doubt he will be a great judge.”
Addressing Ronca directly, DelRicci said, “there is an enormity and a gravity to this office that ultimately falls on your shoulders.”
“There are days that this robe feels very heavy. But you have the strength to bear that and to do justice. The responsibility of this office requires impartiality, wisdom and an understanding of the law and of humanity. In Judge Ronca we have found the person who exemplifies these qualities. His reputation for unwavering integrity, unwavering dedication to the law and his commitment to fairness precedes him. His passion for justice and his unwavering dedication to serving our community sets an example for all of us,” DelRicci said.
Judge Clifford said he was honored to administer the oath of office to Ronca, adding Ronca, while practicing family law, always exhibited firm but respectful advocacy both in and out of the courtroom. Clifford said Ronca “will bring that same skill, sensitivity and respectful demeanor as a judge.”
“I believe with all my heart, mind and soul in the rule of law,” Ronca said as he addressed the public for the first time as a judge. “I believe that no person has more inherent worth than any other person. We are all equal in the eyes of the law. I believe that every person must be treated with dignity and respect no matter their background, age, their race, their national origin, income, their gender, faith or lack of faith or who they may love.
“I believe deeply in due process, that every person has a right to fair treatment and the right to be heard. I believe that these are the foundations of our judicial system and I pledge to you that I will support and defend these principles for as long as I serve,” Ronca added.
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