Hopefuls line up for circuit court judge appointment

Ray Reed / Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: January 12, 2008

RICHMOND - Candidates for a judgeship in the Lynchburg area are quietly seeking an appointment from the General Assembly to succeed retiring Judge J. Samuel Johnston of Campbell County.

State Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, said about five potential jurists have been interviewed by legislators who represent counties in the 24th Judicial District, which includes Lynchburg and the counties of Bedford, Campbell, Amherst and Nelson.

Johnston plans to retire June 1.

When he announced his retirement plans in September at the age of 60, Johnston said he'd been on the bench for 30 years. All but four of them were served at the Circuit Court level, and at the time he was appointed he was the youngest circuit judge in the state.

He estimated he had presided over 40,000 court cases, plus 8,000 divorces and 500 marriages.

Bar associations in the localities are making recommendations on Johnston's successor to the Lynchburg-area delegation to the General Assembly.

Newman said the delegation will consider the bar associations' choices along with those of civic groups such as Lions and Kiwanis clubs and others in the

community.

The delegation will make its recommendations on the candidates to the Senate Judiciary Committee and House Courts of Justice Committee.

Del. Shannon Valentine, D-Lynchburg, is on the House Courts committee. No other Central Virginia legislators are on the committees.

The committees recommend a single candidate to the floor. Eventually the process leads to a single candidate's being elected to an eight-year term as judge of Circuit Court.

Circuit judges usually retain their posts until they decide to leave.

Occasionally the assembly decides not to reappoint a judge, and it's also possible for a judge to be removed for improper conduct.