BATON ROUGE — The chief judge of the 19th Judicial District Court is reflecting on his career as he prepares to retire from the bench at the end of the year.

Chief Judge Don Johnson said he is proud of what he has accomplished and encouraged the community to advocate for further changes to improve the judicial system.

"You are the best lawkeeper there. You know what's going on in the neighborhood. You know what and why," Johnson said. "So help us develop a better system. Your perspective is what matters. I can only give you the legal and my extended education."

An election to fill his seat is set for Nov. 3.