GREENFIELD — Franklin County celebrated its second resident to become a Superior Court judge in 31 years with the induction of Erving native Jeremy C. Bucci on Thursday.

Bucci, who now lives in Deerfield, was the chief trial counsel for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office until he took the oath of office at the State House on Nov. 2 and underwent training before taking the bench. Thirteen sitting and retired judges joined dozens of Bucci’s family members, colleagues and fellow community members for a ceremony inside a fourth-floor courtroom at the Franklin County Justice Center.

Bucci, 46, ended the one-hour ceremony with brief remarks, thanking his family and friends and calling himself the “luckiest person in the world.”

Heidi E. Brieger, chief justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, made the trip from Boston for the occasion and presided over the induction. The ceremony, which would normally take place in the state capital, was held in Greenfield instead to mark the significance of another Franklin County native donning the black robe. The other resident-turned-judge, Mary-Lou Rup, of Whately, sat in the jury box alongside other judges for the ceremony, the first of its kind held in the extensively renovated courthouse that opened six years ago this month.

During a reception following the ceremony, Bucci said he felt blessed to have Rup, who retired in 2018, present for the induction in the courtroom that bears her portrait on the wall.

“She’s been a great friend and she was a fantastic judge here before, so I’ve known her for at least the last 12 years,” he said. “And, obviously, it was an honor for me to have her in the room for this moment.”

Court officer Matthew Szczepanek sang the national anthem at the beginning of the ceremony. Brieger detailed the court’s history and informed everyone Bucci is now one of 82 Superior Court justices in the state and the 472nd of all time.

“You have joined a court of extraordinary scholarship, intelligence and dedication,” she said. “We look forward to serving with Justice Bucci for many years to come.”

Judge John A. Agostini then delivered some remarks, saying he has had a great deal of professional experience working alongside Bucci and he has no doubt the new judge possesses the temperament and legal expertise to carefully carry out the job. Agostini jokingly addressed what he said were Bucci’s character flaws, which include an unhealthy preoccupation with the “Star Wars” franchise.

“He literally took a case of beer on his honeymoon to Italy. I believe that they sell alcohol in Italy, and it’s pretty good,” he added, to a round of laughter. “You can take the boy out of Erving, but you can’t take Erving out of the boy.”

Getting more serious, Agostini said Bucci has the compassion the job requires and “understands the difference between a sinner and a criminal.”

“This is a great job. You will love it,” he said to the new judge. “Jeremy Bucci, welcome to the Superior Court.”

Bucci said in an interview that he was set to return to the bench in Worcester on Friday for a medical malpractice trial. He said it meant the world to him to have the induction ceremony in Greenfield so his wife, Korrina, and 10-year-old son, Charlie, could easily attend, as well as his father, stepmother and brother.

“That was the most important thing,” he said.

Bucci explained he has been assigned to Worcester until the end of March and then Springfield for at least the following nine months.

Korrina Bucci said Thursday’s ceremony was a fitting culmination of her husband’s years of dedication to the legal process.

“I mean, it was really amazing, first of all, to see the number of people that were here, and particularly ... the way Judge Agostini spoke about him. And all that stuff is absolutely true,” she said. “He’s worked super, super hard. This was always something that was incredibly important to him. This is basically his dream. He loves the law more than anybody that I know, he really does.”

Jeremy Bucci, who graduated from Turners Falls High School before attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Suffolk University Law School, began working for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office in 2011 and had previously worked in the appellate unit for the Suffolk County DA’s office, a job he started eight days before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The path to a judgeship begins with a 40-page application reviewed by a 21-person judicial nominating committee, which conducts an in-person interview with the best candidates. The governor and lieutenant governor then agree they are satisfied with a nominee and recommend the person to the Joint Bar Committee, an independent and nonpartisan entity consisting of two dozen attorneys from across the state. The State Police also conduct a background check on a nominee before the Governor’s Council holds a hearing and votes on the nominee.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.

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