The judge is not on the bench, merely to apply a cookie cutter approach to our justice system. Judges are supposed to apply the law, while taking into account the myriad facts that are part of the case.

“Judicial guidelines” should never be used to take away the core function of our judges. We as citizens want a judiciary that is capable and willing to apply all of the evidence presented in a case in order to develop a fair, just verdict and, if the citizen who is charged is judged to be guilty, a suitable sentence that takes into account the many issues, including admission of guilt, remorse, potential for rehabilitation, along with present and past contributions to society.

In this specific case, the fact that Judge Beck did not closely adhere to the supposed guideline, merely confirms that the judge is willing to make decisions based on what was heard in the case and not willing to merely resort to following the generic guidelines.

Virginia’s judicial appointment procedure gives us a better result than what is had by most other states, who either elect or have governor appointment of judges. However, Virginia does need a much more aggressive judicial review process. Judges who are contemptuous towards the citizens who appear before them, or who fail to take necessary steps to hear all of the facts of a case for the sake of expediency, do great harm to our People and to the integrity of our justice system. The Assembly must act to provide for a better procedure for reviewing the performance of our judges. The prompt removal of judges who do not live up to our high standards of fairness and competence, must be dismissed.