PORTLAND, Maine (AP) A federal judge in Maine is transitioning to inactive senior status after more than 40 years of serving in state and federal courts in the state.

Judge Brock Hornby presided over his last proceeding in U.S. District Court in Portland on Thursday. He became a U.S. magistrate in Maine in 1982 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a district court judge in 1990.

Hornby served as chief judge for the district from 1996 to 2003 and entered senior status in 2010. Nancy Torresen succeeded him as judge in 2011.

U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee said Hornby’s long career and “extraordinary contributions have left a remarkable impression on the practice of law in Maine.”