Ward Harshbarger's first time covering night court in 1981 was almost his last as a Kanawha County magistrate.
At the time, night court was held in the old county courthouse. The courtroom was large and had about 30 pews, but oftentimes, Harshbarger said, there was standing room only.
"I stepped into that courtroom, turned and looked and it was packed, I mean packed - standing room only. And I just kept walking. I said, 'bag this,'" recalled Harshbarger, 62.
He was just 26 at the time.
"We had an old bailiff by the name of Sam Snyder. I just kept walking, I was leaving until he reached out that big paw of his and picked me up and said, 'You're going to do this.' And he put me back in my chair and I did that under fire," Harshbarger said.
He's conducted night court ever since. It's completely different now, the longtime magistrate said last month, reflecting on his 36-year career.
His time as a Kanawha magistrate officially came to an end Saturday.
Harshbarger was defeated by former Nitro mayor Rusty Casto in the state's first nonpartisan judicial election in May. Casto's four-year term began Sunday.
The biggest piece of advice the veteran magistrate says he would leave his successor is patience.
"Everybody has the right to be heard. You can never forget to allow everybody their moment in court," Harshbarger said.
He had never planned on being a magistrate for so long. In his early 20s, he saw the job as a way to gain experience before applying to law school.
A political survey he was part of in the 1970s showed that he had the name recognition required to run a successful campaign. The recognition likely came from his popular father, who he is named after, Dr. Ward Harshbarger, as well as the magistrate's uncle, Michael Harshbarger, a well-liked dentist in Dunbar.
Once he began working in the position and got over his nervousness about night court, Harshbarger never looked back.
"I love this job," said Harshbarger, during a break between hearings two weeks ago. "It's been an astounding journey."
Melanie Rucker, Harshbarger's assistant, has been at his side for half of that journey.
She said the hardest part for Harshbarger will be waking up after his term ends and wondering, "What do I do?"
Rucker hopes he will spend more time cooking, which is another way he enjoys serving the public.
"So many people would come in to pay a ticket and say, 'Hey, I've had one of your funnel cakes,'" Rucker said.
For years Harshbarger has sold funnel cakes and his famous fresh-squeezed lemonade at area sporting events and festivals.
Rucker said she and Harshbarger will remain very close. She now will work for Kanawha Magistrate Tim Halloran, and she plans to run again in four years for Kanawha magistrate.
Rucker ran for Kanawha magistrate in the 2012 and 2016 elections. It was Harshbarger who encouraged her.
"He was quite the mentor," Rucker said of Harshbarger. "He really did mentor me. He is the reason I want to be a magistrate."
Harshbarger hired Rucker on a whim, she said, adding how much it meant to her that he was willing to take a chance on her.
"Guyla Black was working as [Harshbarger's] assistant when she was appointed magistrate when Jack Kinder passed away," Rucker recalled. "Guyla and I are friends and she and I were on the phone and she told [Harshbarger], 'I've got somebody for you [to replace Rucker].'"
All Harshbarger asked Black was, "Can she type?" according to Rucker. She knew nothing about the court system, but she could type, so she immediately got the job.
"There were three or four assistants in Day Court that were trying to train me. Ward just looked at them and said, 'Y'all need to go. This is my assistant, I'll train her. And he did," Rucker said.
Both Harshbarger and Rucker say that working in magistrate court means each day brings something new and exciting. Neither could see themselves ever doing anything else.
On their last night working together, Rucker said it would have been easy to get emotional.
"I didn't want him to realize how sad I was over it because I didn't want him to be sad," Rucker said.
About halfway through their shift, Harshbarger looked over at Rucker.
"You know what tonight is," he said. "It's been a fun ride."
"Oh, that it has," she answered.
Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter