Former Va. House speaker among newly appointed judges

Todd Gilbert, former speaker of the House of Delegates and U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, was among several new judges appointed by the General Assembly at the end of its regular session.

Gilbert was unanimously elected to a six-year term on the general district court for the 26th Judicial District by the General Assembly
in the session’s closing days, along with a batch of other nominees to Virginia’s circuit, general district and juvenile and domestic relations courts.

A longtime Republican member of the House of Delegates, Gilbert resigned from the legislature in July 2025 to accept an appointment from President Donald Trump to become U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia.

Gilbert’s legislative career included stints as leader of the chamber’s Republican delegation, including serving as speaker of the House of Delegates from 2022 to 2024.

In August 2025, Gilbert resigned as interim U.S. attorney after just over five weeks on the job. While Gilbert did not publicly state a reason for his resignation, multiple media outlets reported that Gilbert
faced conflict with the Trump administration over an alleged disagreement regarding the staffing of his office, with The
Roanoke Times reporting that Gilbert’s resignation stemmed from a personnel-
related matter.

The New York Times later reported that Gilbert faced pressure to open an investigation into the handling of documents related to the FBI Russia investigation during Trump’s first term.

Two weeks after his resignation, Gilbert joined the Page County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, where he served as a senior assistant commonwealth’s attorney.

Gilbert will begin serving on the general district court bench on July 1.

The election of Gilbert and other judges
completes a process that is near-unique to Virginia, one of only two states that appoint new judges via legislative election.

The state Senate and House of Delegates
each advanced matching resolutions unanimously on March 13 to elect a slate of new judges to Virginia’s courts.

Elected or re-elected to eight-year terms on circuit court were:

• Robert L. Foley, Fourth Judicial Circuit, term begins April 16
• Calvin S. Spencer Jr., 10th Judicial Circuit, term begins July 1
• Curtis M. Hairston Jr., 12th Judicial Circuit, term begins July 1
• Stephanie B. Vipperman, 21st Judicial Circuit, term begins May 1
• Greg T. Haymore, 22nd Judicial Circuit, term begins May 1
• William Wesley Nance, 24th Judicial Circuit, term begins April 1
• Frank A. Wright Jr., 24th Judicial Circuit, term begins July 1
• Gerald E. Mabe II, 27th Judicial Circuit, term begins July 1

Elected to serve six-year terms in Virginia’s general district courts, along with Gilbert, were:

• Mary Elizabeth Sherwin, Fourth
  Judicial District, term begins June 1
• Del M. Mauhrine Brown, Sixth Judicial District, term begins May 1
• Lisa C. Francisco, 10th Judicial District, term begins July 1
• Ericka M. Battle, 12th Judicial District, term begins July 1
• Tiffany K. Booker, 12th Judicial District, term begins May 1
• Melissa H. Hoy, 12th Judicial District, term begins July 1
• David R. Danieli, 15th Judicial District, term begins April 1
• Alexandra P. Vakos, 15th Judicial District, term begins April 1
• Mary Catherine H. Gibbs, 18th Judicial District, term begins May 16
• Dawn M. Futrell, 21st Judicial District, term begins May 1
• Jason D. Morgan, 23rd Judicial District, term begins Nov. 1
• Robin J. Kegley, 27th Judicial District, term begins July 1
• Joshua H. Newberry, 29th Judicial District, term begins April 1

Elected to serve six-year terms in juvenile and domestic relations courts:

• Wilfredo Bonilla Jr., First Judicial District, term begins April 1
• Lisa W. Piper, 12th Judicial District, term begins Dec. 1
• Terrica M. Taylor, 12th Judicial District, term begins July 1
• William B. Hubbard, 15th Judicial District, term begins July 1
• Crystal L. Montague-Holland, 15th Judicial District, term begins April 1
• Tanishka V. Cruz, 16th Judicial District, term begins June 1
• Maana K. Parcham, 18th Judicial District, term begins April 1
• Timothy M. Fisk, 22nd Judicial District, term begins June 1
• Elizabeth Heather H. Goodwin, 24th Judicial District, term begins Aug. 1
• Jonathan E.P. Arnold, 28th Judicial District, term begins April 1.