CITING ILL HEALTH, JUDGE TAKES LEAVE.

Byline: Daily News

Judge H. Keith Byram took an indefinite leave this week from the Newhall Municipal Court bench, citing chronic health problems, the court administrator said Wednesday.

Byram, 71, a longtime Santa Clarita Valley resident, suffered a severe heart ailment last year and has been struggling with his health since, court administrator Earl Bradley said.

Elected to the bench in 1982, Byram hasn't been feeling well the past several months, Bradley said.

``He decided that he wants to slow down a little and see what he can do to improve his health, getting away for a time from the stresses of the job,'' Bradley said. ``We'll probably know in the next few weeks whether this is a long-term thing.''

The court has made arrangements with a state judicial group that assigns retired judges to fill in for those ill or on vacation, he added. Byram's departure comes at a time when the court is expanding, preparing to open a fourth courtroom and hire a commissioner, Bradley said. Byram's current term expires in 2000.

``We're busier than ever,'' he said. ``We already miss him.''

Byram ran unopposed in the 1994 election, winning his third six-year term on the bench. During his tenure, Byram has served several times as the presiding judge of Newhall Municipal Court, the most recent two-year stint from 1994-96.

Three years ago, Byram had said he wasn't interested in retirement, describing himself as the first person at the courthouse in the morning, and the last one out the door in the evening.

At 6 feet, 5 inches tall, the silver-haired, gravelly voiced Byram is an imposing presence in court, but he often lightens the proceedings with a dry wit to set defendants and witnesses at ease.

Before becoming a judge, Byram was a police officer for 11 years. After earning a law degree, Byram was a criminal defense attorney for six years. He then became a Los Angeles Municipal Court commissioner. Eight years later, he was elected to the Newhall judgeship.