The VLW Blog

A judge’s appearance in the back of a courtroom to support a close personal friend did not violate Virginia’s judicial canons, the Supreme Court of Virginia said today. In a unanimous opinion, the court dismissed a disciplinary complaint against 6th Judicial District Judge Jacqueline R. Waymack, who sits in juvenile and domestic relations courts in [...]

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The Virginia General Assembly reelected incumbent judges today, but did not elect two former legislators to the bench. Former Front Royal delegate Clay Athey, a Republican, was up for a seat on the 26th Judicial Circuit in Harrisonburg and former delegate Bud Phillips of Castlewood, a Democrat, was nominated for the 30th General District Court [...]

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Wise County Circuit Judge Joseph R. Carico resigned last Thursday, according to a Supreme Court of Virginia spokeswoman. His two colleagues on the 30th Circuit bench announced in early June that Carico would not be hearing cases until further notice, and sources with some knowledge of the situation said the resignation occurred after a hearing [...]

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Wise County Circuit Judge Joseph R. Carico will not be sitting on the bench until further notice, according to his two colleagues in the 30th Circuit. Earlier this month, Judges John C. Kilgore and Tammy S. McElyea told attorneys that they would be handling Carico’s docket, said Wise Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronald Elkins. The judges did [...]

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The Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission has recommended that the Supreme Court of Virginia censure Virginia Beach J&DR Judge Ramona D. Taylor. The commission alleged that Taylor violated judicial ethics by acting “intentionally to thwart a juvenile defendant’s attempt to appeal from the order that had denied his request for bail.” Taylor ordered a 15-year-old [...]

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Today the Supreme Court of Virginia heard argument in JIRC v. Shull, the case in which the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission is seeking censure or removal of a Wise County juvenile judge who had a woman lower her pants in the courtroom to let the judge examine a knife wound above her knee. When [...]

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