The VLW Blog

Gov. Bob McDonnell wants to know “as soon as practicable” if you want to be a judge. The governor has authority to fill circuit court judgeships left unfilled by the General Assembly. There are three, in the 6th, 10th and 29th judicial circuits. The 6th Circuit vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge Samuel [...]

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Teresa Chafin is now on the Court of Appeals of Virginia. The former Tazewell County circuit judge was sworn in as a Court of Appeals judge Monday, according to court clerk Cynthia L. McCoy. The date and place of her formal investiture have not yet been determined, McCoy said. The vacancy on the 29th Circuit [...]

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After rejection by the House of Delegates, Richmond prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland has been appointed to a general district judgeship by the judges of the circuit court. The decision comes in the wake of signs that General Assembly opposition to appointment of the openly gay attorney might be weakening. A delegate who voted against Thorne-Begland switched [...]

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Del. Richard Morris – a military lawyer – concluded gay judicial candidate Tracy Thorne-Begland is not guilty of any military misconduct, an accusation that was a key factor in opposition to his candidacy. As the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports, Morris, R-Carrollton, shared his conclusion with other Republicans last month in a five-page analysis. The circulation of [...]

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Five leading attorneys at Richmond’s largest law firms have added their signatures to a letter urging the appointment of Tracy Thorne-Begland, the openly gay Richmond prosecutor rejected for a judgeship by the House of Delegates. “Several of us thought that he should be judged fully on his merits,” said Thurston R. Moore, former chairman and [...]

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A Northern Virginia lawmaker says the announcement that Virginia Beach Circuit Judge Patricia West will join the staff of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli pulls back the shade from a mysterious budget amendment offered by Gov. Bob McDonnell. During the final days of the 2012 General Assembly session, McDonnell urged legislators to “unthaw” the judge hiring [...]

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Relief is on the way for one of the most overworked courts in the state. Judges of Virginia’s 11th Circuit, including Petersburg and four nearby counties, have selected Petersburg lawyer Phillip T. DiStanislao Jr. for the Juvenile and Domestic Relations bench, according to an official at the state Supreme Court. The J&DR vacancy in the [...]

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The budget compromise hammered out last week by House and Senate conferees includes money for filling 23 trial court judgeships, according to a knowledgeable source. The plan would unfreeze 10 circuit court positions, six general district court slots, and seven juvenile and domestic relations court seats, at a reported cost of $5.8 million for judgeships [...]

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House budget planners appear willing to turn up the heat a bit more than their Senate counterparts when it comes to unfreezing Virginia trial court judgeships. A House Appropriations subcommittee recommends filling 33 judgeships that would otherwise be left unfilled. The House plan would fill approximately two-thirds of the now-frozen judgeships, according to the panel’s [...]

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Del. Clay Athey has been nominated by fellow legislators for a seat on the 26th Judicial Circuit bench. Athey, a Front Royal attorney, did not seek re-election to the House this year. He is being nominated for the vacancy left by this year’s retirement of Judge John Prosser of Winchester. Del. Steven Landes, R-Weyers Cave, [...]

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