Voice of Darth Vader swears in New York sheriff friend

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Not every county sheriff gets to be sworn in by the voice of Darth Vader.

Actor James Earl Jones performed that duty Thursday for his longtime friend and neighbor Adrian "Butch" Anderson, the sheriff in Dutchess County, N.Y., where Jones lives.

Anderson's fourth term as sheriff in the Hudson Valley county began with Jones administering the oath of office in place of a judge.

Jones told about 250 attendees at the ceremony in the town of Poughkeepsie (poh-KIHP'-see) that his many movie roles included playing a judge in "Sommersby," a 1993 post-Civil War film that starred Richard Gere and Jodie Foster.

Jones provided the voice for the Darth Vader character in the original "Star Wars" trilogy. His deep, distinctive voice also was featured in Disney's animated film, "The Lion King."