Jim Martin, the longest-serving district attorney in Lehigh County history, has died. He was 81.
His death was confirmed by the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office. Martin was pronounced dead at 3:41 p.m. Saturday at his Upper Saucon Township home, Coroner Daniel A. Buglio said in a news release.
Martin died of natural causes, Buglio said.
A Republican, Martin was first appointed to the post in 1998 by the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners to replace Robert Steinberg, who had become a Lehigh County judge. He was later elected to his first term in 1999 at the age of 52.
“I really enjoyed the work,” Martin said in an interview with The Morning Call, just weeks before his final term as DA ended at the end of 2023. “I’d been an assistant DA for about a year-and-a-half, I’d been first assistant DA for five-and-a-half years in the early ’80s. When the opportunity arose, it was the right time for me. I think I could’ve been DA earlier if I wanted to be.”
In that interview, Martin said his goal was to always be fair.
“The district attorney, and I feel strongly about this, has to be a minister of justice,” he said. “You’ve got to look at cases objectively in order to obtain justice.”
In its tribute to Martin on its Facebook page, the South Whitehall Township Police Department praised him as an ally of local police departments.
“Throughout his decades guiding county prosecution, Jim Martin served as an indispensable ally to municipal police officers,” the post read in part. “He recognized early on that protecting our neighborhoods required strong unity among local departments, and he consistently provided our officers and detectives with the strategic backing, resources, and legal guidance necessary to resolve complex criminal investigations. His focus on modernizing regional intelligence sharing, elevating investigative standards, and holding dangerous offenders accountable fundamentally transformed how we safeguard South Whitehall Township.
Gavin Holihan, who succeeded Martin as DA, credited him for mentoring him and leaving him with a well-run office.
“I’m confident that he’s left me in an excellent position to carry forward what he’s put together,” Holihan told The Morning Call in 2023.
Martin was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia, who died in October 2023, months before his tenure as DA ended. He said he had looked forward to spending his retirement with her.
“It’s difficult to talk about,” he told The Morning Call, calling her the rock who supported him during his career.
Martin was a graduate of what is now known as the Temple University Beasley School of Law.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.