Gloucester Circuit Court Judge R. Bruce Long will retire from the bench effective Jan. 1. Long notified Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Cynthia D. Kinser of his decision in a letter dated Monday.

"It is with mixed emotions that I write to advise you of my decision to retire from the Circuit Court Bench effective January 1, 2014. Serving since 1998, first in General District Court and then in Circuit Court, in the most respected judiciary in the nation, has been the highest honor of my professional life. The years have been filled with memories that I shall always treasure," Long wrote to Kinser.

Long also requested he be included on the list of retired judges who may be called as needed.

Long was elected to an eight-year term as judge in the ninth judicial circuit by the Virginia General Assembly in March 2009 to replace Judge William H. Shaw III, who retired in May of that year.

A former Gloucester County supervisor, Long and his wife, Joy Smith Long, had a law practice...