Court wins grant to study senior judge system
The Supreme Court of Virginia has received a $130,000 grant from the National Center for State Courts to study a system for using designated senior judges to sit in Virginia trial courts, Chief Justice...
View ArticleJudicial balancing act: Weighted case study calls for shifts
A just completed study of Virginia trial judges’ workloads calls for 30 additional judgeships that could cost the state around $9 million a year. The study recommends a balancing among jurisdictions,...
View ArticleCourt, bar leaders hope study will leverage judgeship money
Some lawyer legislators may be skeptical about details, but the new study of Virginia trial judges’ workloads is being hailed as solid evidence the state needs more budget money to put judges in...
View ArticleJudges face scrutiny before courts committees
A Bedford judge came to make amends for a temper outburst and found himself – alongside his local commonwealth’s attorney – defending his court’s sentencing practices. A Virginia Beach judge complained...
View ArticleLegislators use sentencing figures to question judge
Bedford County Circuit Judge James W. Updike Jr. was prepared to answer questions about his temper control as he appeared before a General Assembly panel Dec. 13. He was caught off guard when...
View ArticleLawyers judging judges
When Virginia judges up for re-election faced questions last week about their handling of certain criminal cases, lawyers stepped up to defend the judges before legislative courts committees. Those...
View ArticleEditorial: Judging is not a numbers game
Forty incumbent judges traveled to Richmond Dec. 13 to face the hiring squad. They came to Capitol Hill for their judicial re-election interviews before a joint session of the House and Senate Courts...
View ArticleAdvocate puts judge on hot seat for contempt order
A veteran Virginia Beach circuit judge was forced – without preparation – to defend a 10-year-old ruling in a contentious and emotional custody case as he appeared Dec. 13 before legislators in...
View ArticleJudicial evaluations may be coming back
A program for lawyers to judge judges could be making a comeback. The 2014 General Assembly will consider proposals to revive a moribund judicial performance evaluation program designed to help...
View ArticleJudicial overhaul bill is expected
The 2014 Virginia General Assembly could reorganize the allocation of judgeships among local courthouses and restore the practice of lawyers scoring the performance of their local judges. Bills to make...
View ArticleVirginia Beach judge runs into trouble at Assembly
A longtime circuit judge from Virginia Beach has been dealt a blow in his bid for a third term, as a child advocacy group urged legislators to block his re-election. Some lawmakers say they share the...
View ArticleClimate right for diversity in Western District, advocates say
With two Democratic U.S. senators and a president with a record of diversity in judicial appointments, advocates say it might be time to break a pattern of white male federal judges on the bench in the...
View ArticleAssembly budget includes judgeship money
The General Assembly passed a new state budget June 12 – including money for filling some judicial vacancies – but only after adopting a Republican-backed amendment to ensure that Democratic Gov. Terry...
View ArticleJudge money stays in budget
With a ruling from the Speaker of the House, money to add up to 36 funded judgeships to Virginia’s trial courts will remain part of the state budget for the next two years. Speaker William Howell ruled...
View ArticleA little more to the left
The confirmation of Pamela A. Harris to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals July 28 will mark a giant step in President Obama’s ongoing quest to transform one of the country’s most conservative...
View ArticleCourts struggle with shortages as Assembly prepares to fill judgeships
Relief may be on the way for some Virginia court systems struggling with vacancies on the bench, but the long term forecast is hardly rosy. The General Assembly courts committees are set to interview...
View ArticleBar groups urge funding for judges
As lawmakers prepared to interview and select new judges this week, bar leaders have been calling on Assembly members to resist any efforts to trim judicial funding. Earlier this year, the General...
View ArticleBar groups, legislators clash over judge choices
As Virginia legislators considered candidates for newly funded judgeships, some Assembly members openly rejected advice from local lawyers and bar groups about their choices. Controversy over judicial...
View ArticleLegislators reach early agreement on most judge seats
Members of the General Assembly courts committees settled on specific candidates for most of the newly funded judgeships up for voting last week before the lawmakers ever arrived at the state Capitol....
View ArticleUp in Arms: Bar groups protest some Assembly judicial choices
The natural tension between politicians and practicing lawyers over judge selection boiled up in three different Virginia communities this month as lawmakers appeared to ignore the advice of local bar...
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