Judicial selection in Virginia
| Judicial selection in Virginia | |
 | |
| Virginia Supreme Court | |
| Method: | Legislative election |
| Term: | 12 years |
| Virginia Court of Appeals | |
| Method: | Legislative election |
| Term: | 8 years |
| Virginia Circuit Courts | |
| Method: | Legislative election |
| Term: | 8 years |
| Virginia District Courts | |
| Method: | Legislative election |
| Term: | 6 years |
Judicial selection refers to the process used to select judges for courts. At the state level, methods of judicial selection vary substantially in the United States, and in some cases between different court types within a state. There are six primary types of judicial selection: partisan and nonpartisan elections, the Michigan method, assisted appointment, gubernatorial appointment, and legislative elections. To read more about how these selection methods are used across the country, click here.
This article covers how state court judges are selected in Virginia, including:
- Virginia Supreme Court,
- Virginia Court of Appeals,
- Virginia Circuit Courts, and
- Limited jurisdiction courts
As of April 2023, the selection of state court judges in Virginia occurred almost exclusively through legislative elections. Virginia and South Carolina were the only states to use this method.[1][2][3][4]
Click here to notify us of changes to judicial selection methods in this state.
Virginia Supreme Court
- See also: Virginia Supreme Court
The seven justices of the supreme court are elected by a majority vote of both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.[5] Supreme court justices serve 12-year terms. At the end of their terms, judges must be re-selected by the legislature just as they initially were.[5]
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a judge must be:
- a state resident; and
- a state bar member for at least five years.[2]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the court is selected by peer vote. The supreme court chief justice serves in that capacity for four years.[6]
Vacancies
When the General Assembly is in session, midterm vacancies are filled by the same legislative selection process normally used to select judges. When the assembly is not in session, the governor appoints a replacement to serve until 30 days after the start of the next session, by which point a judge must be elected to the seat.[5][7]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
- Virginia's Judicial System
- Virginia General Assembly
- Virginia Office of the Attorney General, "Introduction to Virginia's Judicial System"
Footnotes
- ↑ Legislative elections - where the legislature chooses judges to serve on the court
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 American Judicature Society, "History of Reform Efforts: Virginia," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ University of Richmond Law Review, "Reconsidering Virginia Judicial Selection," November 2008
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Virginia's Legislative Information System, "Constitution of Virginia," accessed September 19, 2014 (Scroll to Article VI) Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "VAconst" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "VAconst" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "VAconst" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection," accessed August 18, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Lawyers Weekly, "Iaquinto appointed to general district judgeship," June 2, 2013
- ↑ Bristol, Viginia Sheriff's Office, "The Office of the Virginia Magistrate, accessed August 19, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Law Library, "§ 19.2-35. Appointment; supervision generally," accessed April 18, 2023
- ↑ U.S. Courts, "FAQ: Federal Judges," accessed March 26, 2015
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Judicial Selection: The Process of Choosing Judges," accessed August 10, 2021
Federal courts:
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia
State courts:
Virginia Supreme Court • Virginia Court of Appeals • Virginia Circuit Courts • Virginia District Courts • Virginia Magistrates
State resources:
Courts in Virginia • Virginia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Virginia
