Goodbye Commonwealth Conservative?

Sources in Richmond tell me...

Rumors are circulating that Chad Dotson has been offered support for a local judgeship by legislators in his area, and he has accepted, pending appointment by the next General Assembly.

Since a judge can not blog, is this the end of CC?

Comments

[The Ghost of Tom Joad]

Bummer...that'll be a big void to fill if that's true.

[Pastor John]

"that'll be a big void to fill if that's true"

i'll do my best.

[not gretchen bulova]

Good but sad news...

Good that he is moving on to something he will enjoy but sad that CC might be leaving...

[republitarian's wife]

This is probably a stupid question but... Why can't judges blog?

[republitarian's wife]

This is probably a stupid question but... Why can't judges blog?

[republitarian's wife]

What's up with the new wor verification thing?

[Vivian J. Paige]

Congrats to Chad if he gets this appointment. Someone else will have to step up and fill his shoes.

There's still Vehrs.

[Riley, Not O'Reilly]

In fact, in some states, judicial candidates (those states where judges are elected) cannot blog. (The prohibition is broader, a restriction on public political speech.) See this note from Politics1.com founder: http://www.politics1.com/blog-0506.htm#0506

[republitarian's wife]

Thanks, Riley. What is the reasoning behind this restriction?

[Charlie]

Do you know what kind of judgeship it is?

[Shaun Kenney]

WOAH.

Now that's a scoop.

[Riley, Not O'Reilly]

The basic rationale behind barring judges from speaking publicly on political issues has to do with separation of powers and the need for an impartial judiciary. Additionally, there is the chance that something they discuss publicly could come before them when they are on the bench and then there would be the question of whether the judge was truly impartial in a certain case.

[Lelie Byrne is Ben Tribbetts Puppett]

How can a guy with a history of politial commentary that is archived for public perusal now purport to be above the political fray?

[SE VA MWC Alum]

He must disassociate himself

[SE VA MWC Alum]

Congrats to the new judge

[Bwana]

Hugo Black, James Byrne, and Earl Warren, among others, served in elected office before being named to the high court. Long time Va. Supreme Court justice Richard Poff was a member of the HOD and the US House of Rep before going on the bench.

It is not a matter of being above the fray before taking the robes, it is the conduct afterwards.

[Valley Redneck]

Seems a bit early to be tapping anyone for a judgeship. The GA is in special session and can't take it up.

Judicial elections are a long, complicated affair, and the people I talk to on the Joint Judicial Committee are deep in budget stuff, not picking black robes for people.

But, I could be wrong.

[James Young]

Responding to VR: Actually, if a vacancy occurs, the tradition is for the Governor to appoint the choice of the local legislators, pending it being taken up in a regular session. Happened to a friend of mine in PWC. Good news for the Wise County bench is bad news for the Virginia blogosphere.

[J. Sarge]

Does anyone know which court (circuit, general district, or juvenile/domestic relations)? Judge Sergent's term expires at the beginning of next year. Judge Kilgore is next up for election (by the General Assembly) in the middle of 2011 (I believe he is a recent addition to the court). Judge McElyea's term expires in 2013. Sergent and McElyea are both from Lee County (Pennington Gap and Jonesville, respectively). I assume Kilgore is from Gate City in Scott (many of the Kilgores are). It would make sense to replace a Lee vacancy with a Wise appointment. It seems as though General District Judge Carico's term was up in Feb., but he was reappointed in SR 6. In the JDR court, Judge Wills' term is up at the end of Jan. 2007. Judge Shull not till 2009.

Much depends on the source of NLS' information. The Circuit Court fills vacancies in the JDR and GD courts if the GA is not in session (which I don't think they are for this purpose, but I may be wrong). Circuit Court Judgeships (and appellate judgeships) are filled by the Governor when the GA is not in session.

While I am not familiar with the ins and outs of the process, I have never heard that the Governor has to appoint the "choice of the local legislators," as Mr. Young suggests. Certainly at the appellate level there would be no Justice Poff or Justice Kinser if Holton or Allen were appointing the choice of the GA. Of course, Circuit Courts may be different. The GA has the final say, via election during the next session, but the Virginia tradition is to leave gubernatorially appointed judges alone.

Regardless, if the rumor is true, congratulations to Mr. Dotson. Elevation to any bench in the Commonwealth is quite an honor!

[Adam Tolbert]

If a judicial vacancy did occur right now during the special GA session, the GA could do the election. Back in 2001 when Mark Earley resigned as Attorney General, the GA elected a new Attorney General during the redistricting special session. Had the GA not been in session, this would have fell to the governor by law. I also see that during a 1994 special session the GA elected several judges.

Basically from all I have read or heard if the GA is in session for any purpose they can do whatever ordinarily is under their control.

[notnotnotnotnot Ken Cuccinelli]

He could always take a "new name" maybe "not chad dotson"?

[Valley Redneck]

Anybody asked Chad about this yet?

[dofus kamas]

body asked Chad about this yet?

[ffxiv gil]

body asked Chad about this yet?

[ffxiv gil]

Anybody asked Chad about this yet?