Leo Strine, chief justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, announced Monday in a letter to the governor that he will retire from leading the state’s judiciary this fall.

Strine’s decision to retire—which he called “bittersweet” in his letter to Gov. John Carney —appeared to come as a surprise to some Monday, though there had been speculation for weeks in Delaware government and legal circles that he may retire early, according to a Delaware Business Times column published in May.