Gregory-Sleet Gregory Sleet.

Nearly one year after taking senior status, U.S. District Judge Gregory M. Sleet of the District of Delaware on Thursday confirmed that he plans to retire this fall, capping a two-decade career on Delaware's federal court.

In an interview, Sleet said he was ready to step down after helping the shorthanded U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware to navigate a historic surge in patent filings in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's TC Heartland ruling.

Sleet announced last March that he would take senior status, opening a second vacancy on Delaware's district court. Often, senior judges remain on the bench but opt to preside over a reduced number of cases; however, Sleet chose to maintain a full caseload, despite his semi-retired status.