The VLW Blog

General District Judge Norman deVere “Dev” Morrison retired yesterday after 24 years on the bench.
Before his judicial appointment in 1985, Judge Morrison served as the Berryville town attorney and as a substitute judge. During his career, he has sat in every court in the 26th Judicial Circuit, but mainly ruled over cases in Clarke and […]

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Amy Tisinger was sworn in yesterday as the first female judge on the general district bench in Shenandoah County.
She replaces Judge Norman Morrison, who is retiring, reports the Northern Virginia Daily.
For the past 10 years, Tisinger has been a prosecutor with the commonwealth’s attorney’s office, and spent four years working for Shenandoah Circuit Judge […]

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Virginia’s Eastern District Bankruptcy Court should convert its temporary judgeship to a permanent slot, according to testimony this week before a House subcommittee.
The Eastern District would have six permanent bankruptcy judgeships if Congress approves conversion of a temporary judgeship set to expire in 2011, according to Judge Barbara Lynn, chair of the Judicial Conference […]

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The Daily Press reports more than 400 people crowded the Hampton courthouse for a ceremonial swearing in for new Circuit Judge Bonnie L. Jones.

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Gov. Tim Kaine elevated two lower court judges today to fill circuit seats in Southside and in Chesterfield County and Colonial Heights.
Kaine appointed Chesterfield J&DR Judge Harold W. Burgess Jr. to replace Judge Cleo E. Powell, who was named to the Virginia Court of Appeals, and General District Judge Judge Joel C. Cunningham to replace […]

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The Roanoke Times reports Blacksburg attorney Harriet D. Dorsey has been appointed by circuit court judges to fill a vacancy on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court bench in the 27th District.
The paper reports Dorsey is one of several substitute judges who have heard cases, primarily in Wythe County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, since […]

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Chief Justice Leroy Hassell hopes to reinstate the state’s judicial performance evaluation program that was scrapped this year after a flap over the privacy of the reports on judges’ performance.
Hassell told a meeting of the Judicial Conference of Virginia today he wants to work out an understanding with legislative leaders that the evaluations will not […]

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Despite the word from Chief Justice Leroy Hassell that the Supreme Court’s judicial evaluation program is in a “winding up” status, the chief says he still wants my opinion.
That is to say, I have received another letter over Hassell’s signature, this one dated April 3, saying I have been selected to participate in the Judicial […]

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Gov. Tim Kaine appointed retiring Del. Ken Melvin, D-Portsmouth, today to the Portsmouth Circuit Court effective May 1.
The appointment had been expected after the 12-term legislator announced his retirement earlier this year.
Melvin, 56, is a sole practitioners specializing in criminal and personal injury law.
A member of the Courts of Justice, Finance and Commerce and Labor […]

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Chief Justice Leroy R. Hassell Sr. defended yesterday a decision to eliminate payments for unused sick and vacation days for retiring district court judges.
Hassell told the Virginia Judicial Council that elimination of the payments was in the context of the $8 million reduction the court system must make in the 2008-10 biennium.
In looking for ways […]

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