An upstate New York judge died after having a heart attack on the bench.
Putman County Court Judge James Reitz, 57, was in his courtroom Friday morning when he was stricken. Court officers performed CPR and used a defibrillator to try to resuscitate him before he was taken to a hospital, the Associated Press reported.
His last words were to tell a court officer, “John, I think I need you to help me,” the New York Law Journal reported.
He died shortly after arriving at the hospital, said Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the state court system.
Reitz lived in Mahopac and was a county judge since 2007. He was also an acting justice with the state Supreme Court, the Journal News reported. He previously worked as a lawyer in private practice.
State Sen. Terrence Murphy, who represents Putnam County, called Reitz “a giant” in a Facebook post, and said his legacy will be his Drug Court Program, which “should be a model for New York State.”
“Judge Reitz was the ultimate public servant,” Murphy said.