Judicial District Lines Proposed to Change
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July 12th, 2011
Virginia: 1972 was the last year the judicial boundaries in Virginia were last adjusted, but since then the state population has doubled, with some districts having greater populations and heavier caseloads. [1]
The first General Assembly brought forth a proposed bill by legislators Del. Bill Janis and Sen. John Edwards to redraw the district lines. The bill would try to even out the caseloads and put districts together with similar points of interest, population, and other key related factors. However, the re-alignment of the districts reduces the number of districts down to 19 from 31, as well as the judges from 402 to 382.[1]
The bill has passed in the House, but has not made it through the Senate yet. For now, the chief justice of the Virginia Supreme Court has appointed a study panel of 22 members, with some holding public hearings about the bill around the entire state.[1]
The public hearings have brought forth the feeling that the legal community does not want the districts to be changed until better studying on the issue has been done. Those who have spoken have not seemed pleased with the current proposals and have pointed out that the state of Virginia should be increasing judgeships, not decreasing them.[1]
More public hearings were held in Portsmouth, Weyers Cave and Danville with the hopes of obtaining as much public input as possible on the issue.[1]
Footnotes
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