Richmond Circuit Court Judges Defy Bob Marshall and The Family Foundation

In an amazing turn of events after the Christofascists at The Family Foundation and the mentally deranged and homophobic Del. Bob Marshall torpedoed his appointment to the Richmond District Court Bench, Tracy Thorne-Begland (pictured at left) has been appointed by the Richmond Circuit Court judges to fill a District Court vacancy.  The Circuit Court judges move follows an unusual move by five Richmond based mega law firms - a veritable who's who in the Virginia legal world - that jointly signed a letter addressed to the Circuit Court judges urging them to appoint Thorne-Begland and decrying the bigotry that was evidenced by his treatment by the Virginia House of Delegates.  Hopefully this turn of events will embolden other businesses and corporations to send a strong message that they - and many of us regular citizens - are over the Family Foundation dictating state laws and policy.  Victoria Cobb and her coven of haters at The Family Foundation need to be sent slinking back into the political wilderness or whatever dark swamps or nether regions that they crawled out from.  They are an embarrassment to Virginia and they need to step into the 21st century.  Here are highlights from the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

The Richmond Circuit Court has appointed Richmond prosecutor Tracy Thorne-Begland to fill the judicial vacancy created when the House of Delegates rejected his nomination to the Richmond General District Court bench last month.  He is the first openly gay judge in Virginia.

The appointment is a vindication of sorts for Thorne-Begland and his supporters, who felt his rejection by the GOP-controlled House of Delegates last month was primarily motivated by the fact that he is openly gay.

It is also a bold move for the judges of the Richmond Circuit Court, who know his interim appointment to the bench could face political opposition when it comes up for review next year in the legislature.  The judges did not act in a vaccuum, however.

The May 15 vote in the House sparked a measure of outrage in the legal community, as well as among local elected officials, Democrats, moderate Republicans and a number of organizations representing civil liberties and gay rights.

Earlier this week, five of Richmond's most prominent private attorneys, representing politically influential law firms, sent a letter to the Richmond Circuit Court expressing support for Thorne-Begland. And on Wednesday, an internal Republican memo surfaced that rebutted opposition leveled by several Republicans with military backgrounds over Thorne-Begland's military record as a Naval flight offcer.

The memo, written by Del. Richard L. Morris, R-Isle of Wight -- a 22-year Navy veteran and military law attorney -- argued that Thorne-Begland had not violated military law or his oath in publicly stating his opposition to the military's policy against gays in the armed forces.

Tracy Thorne-Begland has released a statement about his appointment as a general district court judge.

"I am humbled by the Circuit Court's decision," said Thorne-Begland, who serves as Richmond's chief deputy commonwealth's attorney under Commonwealth's Attorney Michael N. Herring.

Thorne-Begland's appointment to the 13th Judicial District in the Manchester Courthouse takes effect July 1.

"I look forward to serving the citizens of the city of Richmond as a jurist, and over the coming months, I hope that my service provides comfort to all Virginians that I remain committed to the faithful application of the laws and Constitutions of Virginia and the United States of America."

 

Tucker Martin, a spokesman for Gov. Bob McDonnell, said:  "The governor believes Mr. Thorne-Begland is well-qualified to serve on the bench. He congratulates him on the appointment."

It is ironic that Victoria Cobb - head Christofascist at The Family Foundation made this remark about the Circuit Court judges' rebuke of her organization's rank bigotry:

"As a member of the court, he now has the responsibility to uphold the Constitution, not apply his own personal, political agenda or viewpoint," said Victoria Cobb, president of the Christian conservative group, The Family Foundation.  "Because of our efforts, he will be watched very closely in the coming years, particularly if he is elevated to any higher court in the future." Cobb said she hoped the "incident" would prompt deeper scrutiny of future judicial candidates.

The Family Foundation and Ms. Cobb do not give a rat's ass for the Constitution and the law.  It is ALL about their personal agenda of turning Virginia into a theocracy governed by the Christianist equivalent of Sharia law.  Ms. Cobb and The Family Foundation represent one of the most insidious forces of evil and threats to constitutional government in the Commonwealth.  It's safe to assume that if her lips are moving, she's lying.