Comments on: Bolling reacts to judicial appointment ethics questions http://bearingdrift.com/2008/04/28/bolling-reacts-to-judicial-appointment-ethics-questions/ Thu, 24 May 2012 01:33:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: kay kilwalsky Mecklenburg County, VA http://bearingdrift.com/2008/04/28/bolling-reacts-to-judicial-appointment-ethics-questions/#comment-12570 kay kilwalsky Mecklenburg County, VA Sun, 18 Jan 2009 01:22:11 +0000 http://bearingdrift.com/?p=265#comment-12570 Legislators should listen to the people not other legislators or bar associations. The general public is more objective and they know who would serve well as a judge. Legislators should listen to the people not other legislators or bar associations. The general public is more objective and they know who would serve well as a judge.

]]> By: Not Republican Hypocrisy http://bearingdrift.com/2008/04/28/bolling-reacts-to-judicial-appointment-ethics-questions/#comment-1607 Not Republican Hypocrisy Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:31:22 +0000 http://bearingdrift.com/?p=265#comment-1607 From The Roanoke Times, 2/23/05: Two years ago, Marc Long was up for a Circuit Court judgeship in the 27th Judicial Circuit. He was backed by the circuit's largest bar association, but the General Assembly chose someone else. Since then, Long has made large donations to Republicans in the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Now he is poised to become a judge. Some members of the Radford-Montgomery Bar Association say legislators overlooked their endorsement for the new Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge for the 27th District and instead are basing their choice today on Long's campaign contributions. The bar association in January unanimously endorsed Radford attorney Meg Stone, a Republican, for the new judgeship that covers Montgomery, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, Carroll, Wythe, Grayson and Bland counties, as well as the cities of Radford and Galax. But Stone was informed in a Feb. 10 letter from Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, and Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, that she will not get the job when the legislature makes its nomination today. Legislators instead are expected to appoint the only candidate that the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and the House Judicial Panel brought in for an interview: Marc Long, a Republican attorney from Blacksburg and a Radford-Montgomery bar member. Nutter said bar members are wrong if they think Long's donations will influence the upcoming appointment. "I'm not going to dignify that kind of trash," Nutter said. "To make that connection is frankly a despicable statement. It's ignorant." But John Dalton, a Radford attorney and bar association member, said he met with Nutter before the legislative session began in January, and Nutter told him Long would get a judgeship because he had influential backing. "I'm not sure who that backing is from, but it certainly is from someone," said Dalton, an outspoken critic of Long. Nutter said the bar is simply upset because it does not have the power to appoint judges to the bench, a job he said should lie with the legislature. And he refused to comment on Dalton's allegation that Nutter said Long had powerful backers. From The Roanoke Times, 2/23/05:

Two years ago, Marc Long was up for a Circuit Court judgeship in the 27th Judicial Circuit. He was backed by the circuit’s largest bar association, but the General Assembly chose someone else.

Since then, Long has made large donations to Republicans in the Republican-controlled General Assembly. Now he is poised to become a judge.

Some members of the Radford-Montgomery Bar Association say legislators overlooked their endorsement for the new Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge for the 27th District and instead are basing their choice today on Long’s campaign contributions.

The bar association in January unanimously endorsed Radford attorney Meg Stone, a Republican, for the new judgeship that covers Montgomery, Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, Carroll, Wythe, Grayson and Bland counties, as well as the cities of Radford and Galax.

But Stone was informed in a Feb. 10 letter from Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, and Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, that she will not get the job when the legislature makes its nomination today.

Legislators instead are expected to appoint the only candidate that the Senate Courts of Justice Committee and the House Judicial Panel brought in for an interview: Marc Long, a Republican attorney from Blacksburg and a Radford-Montgomery bar member.

Nutter said bar members are wrong if they think Long’s donations will influence the upcoming appointment. “I’m not going to dignify that kind of trash,” Nutter said. “To make that connection is frankly a despicable statement. It’s ignorant.”

But John Dalton, a Radford attorney and bar association member, said he met with Nutter before the legislative session began in January, and Nutter told him Long would get a judgeship because he had influential backing.

“I’m not sure who that backing is from, but it certainly is from someone,” said Dalton, an outspoken critic of Long.

Nutter said the bar is simply upset because it does not have the power to appoint judges to the bench, a job he said should lie with the legislature. And he refused to comment on Dalton’s allegation that Nutter said Long had powerful backers.

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