Butler now has more part-time judges than full-time ones.

The state enlisted three retired judges to work part time on cases in Butler County, raising the total number of visiting judges to seven. Butler's understaffing problems started when Judge Marilyn Horan left for a federal appointment, prompting a visiting judge to be called in to work for 10 days a month.

The latest visiting judges were summoned after two events.

In the first, the four full-time common pleas judges recused themselves from presiding over the case against John Paul Doerr III, who is accused of possessing child pornography, because his father is President Judge Thomas Doerr.

In the second event, Judge Doerr went on medical leave in January and has been out since then.

To address the need for judges, the state's court administration announced Friday that Senior Judge Tim Creany of Cambria County has been assigned to hear the case of John Paul Doerr.

Read more in Sunday's Butler Eagle.