Judicial Problems

In Virginia, voters don’t elect the judges. VA is one of only two states whose legislatures choose their judges. Do they use any real criteria to select and reappoint them? Obviously not.

VA Senate Democrats, Henry Marsh, Richard Saslaw, John Edwards, Wm. Roscoe Reynolds, Creigh Deeds, Janet Howell, Louise Lucas, Linda Puller and Republican Frederick M. Quayle, just defeated House Bill 2526—a measure that would have simply allowed them see existing performance reviews on our judges. Does this mean that the plan to personally sit in on trials to observe for themselves? No. Does this mean that they’ll continue to rubber stamp the reappointments of bad judges? Yes.

So far this session, Judge Timothy Hauler was reappointed to the Chesterfield County Circuit Court despite numerous complaints. It took over 20 years of citizen complaints for the General Assembly to finally remove Judge Gaylord Finch from the Fairfax Circuit Court. Finch and former Norfolk Circuit Court’s Chuck Griffith were not our only bad judges.

Because some in the General Assembly refuse to do their jobs, innocent people like Teddy Thompson will continue to be the victims of VA’s corrupt judges.