Mercer County’s battery of district judges — who are the first step in the court system for defendants ranging from drunk drivers to murderers — will soon have their ranks replenished.

Gov. Ed Rendell nominated and the state Senate signed off on two of the three candidates who won district judge races on both sides of the ballot in the May primary, said Mercer County Common Pleas Court President Judge Francis J. Fornelli on Tuesday.

Since last fall, the courts have been reduced from five sitting district judges to two. The empty seats in Greenville, Sharon and Pine Township were filled by senior district judges. The bulk of after hours work, however, is straining the two remaining sitting district judges and the common pleas court judges.

In May, D. Neil McEwen won both sides of the ballot for the Pine Township district judge position. Brian Arthur won both sides for the Greenville seat, and Dennis Songer both sides for Sharon.

McEwen and Arthur are now both a step away from taking the bench early. In about two weeks when their paperwork is cleared, Fornelli said he will swear the two in.

Songer was not nominated yet because he completed his test for the judgeship a week or so ago, Fornelli said. His results aren’t back yet. McEwen, as an attorney, is already considered trained. Arthur completed the four--week training course before the election.

Fornelli said Songer may be nominated and confirmed as soon as he completes the class, and a spokeswoman with the office of state Sen. Robert D. Robbins, Salem Township, R-50th District, said she guesses there won’t be trouble with the third early appointment.

Early appointment will not circumvent November’s election, Fornelli said. The appointments only last until the end of the year.

If a third-party or independent candidate were to win in November, they would be sworn in at the start of next year.

McEwen and Arthur both said on Tuesday they were ready for the job.

McEwen will have to hang up his hat as assistant district attorney and pass some of his case load on to other prosecutors.

Arthur has been chief of police in Hempfield Township for 12 years and said he will submit his resignation to the supervisors as soon as his swearing-in date is set.

The date could vary depending on how long the paperwork takes to go through, Fornelli said.