THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 10, 1997 TAG: 9701100495
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 72 lines
As many as five new judges will be appointed to courts in South Hampton Roads over the next few weeks, including one plum assignment to federal court in Norfolk.
Six candidates have come forward for the federal judgeship. They include three state judges, a federal magistrate judge and two Norfolk lawyers.
The job is open because Judge Robert G. Doumar, a fixture at the federal courthouse since 1981, has taken senior status, a form of semi-retirement. It means Doumar can set his work schedule, hearing as many cases - or as few cases - as he wants.
Doumar's clerk said the 66-year-old judge plans to keep a full workload.
This week, the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association mailed an endorsement ballot to its 1,200 members. The group will endorse candidates for the federal judgeship Feb. 20.
Six candidates are on the ballot: Judges Jerome B. Friedman and Alan E. Rosenblatt of Virginia Beach Circuit Court; Judge Johnny E. Morrison of Portsmouth Circuit
Court; Magistrate Judge Tommy E. Miller of U.S. District Court in Norfolk; and lawyers Larry W. Shelton and Conrad M. Shumadine.
The bar association will make its recommendations to Sen. Charles Robb, who will make his recommendations to President Clinton. That is expected to happen in late January or early February.
Robb is expected to recommend the new judge because he and Clinton are both Democrats. Virginia's other senator, John Warner, is a Republican.
The last judge appointed to Norfolk's federal court was Raymond A. Jackson in December 1993.
Meanwhile, legislators in Richmond will appoint up to four new judges to local courts by next month:
Chesapeake: Two new judgeships are proposed for this growing city, one each in Circuit Court and General District Court. There is no guarantee that these new jobs will be approved and funded by the legislature, but Del. J. Randy Forbes, a Chesapeake lawyer, believes it will happen. ``I have heard nothing to indicate that will not come about,'' Forbes said Thursday.
Forbes predicted that the Circuit Court job will be filled by one of Chesapeake's lower-court judges in General District or Juvenile and Domestic Relations court. If so, that would create another judgeship to be filled. So far, no names have been formally submitted.
Virginia Beach: Judge John B. Simpson is retiring Feb. 1 from General District Court. He is 72 and has served on the court since 1978. It is too early to speculate who Simpson's replacement will be, said Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, a Virginia Beach lawyer. Stolle said a number of candidates have surfaced, but he has not spoken with them yet nor is he leaning toward one.
Portsmouth: Judge Robert F. Babb is retiring Feb. 1 from Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. He will be 70 this year and has served on the court since 1990. Here, too, no names have been submitted formally to replace Babb.
In each city, the local bar association plans to nominate and endorse candidates. No date has been set for any endorsement. ILLUSTRATION: Robert G. Doumar
Robert F. Babb
CHANGES IN JUDGESHIPS
FEDERAL: Judge Robert G. Doumar, 66, has taken senior status, a
form of semi-retirement. He has served since 1981.
VIRGINIA BEACH: Judge John B. Simpson, 72, is retiring Feb. 1
from General District Court. He has served since 1978.
PORTSMOUTH: Judge Robert F. Babb, 70, is retiring Feb. 1 from
Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. He has served since 1990.
CHESAPEAKE: Two new judgeships might be created- one each for
Circuit Court and General District Court. Del. J. Randy Forbes, a
Chesapeake lawyer, believes the General Assembly will approve the
new positions for the growing city.
KEYWORDS: JUDGES CANDIDATES