SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 39 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 10, 2007 Amending Rule 18 (c) of the Rules of the Senate, relating to nominations for justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the Court of Appeals. ---------- Patron-- Stolle ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

RESOLVED by the Senate, That Rule 18 (c) of the Rules of the Senate is amended and readopted as follows:

VI. Standing Committees.

18 (c). A Committee for Courts of Justice, 15 Senators, to consider matters relating to the Courts of the Commonwealth and the Justices and Judges thereof, including the nominations of such Justices and Judges where provided by the Constitution and statutes of Virginia; and all matters concerning the criminal laws of the Commonwealth; together with all matters concerning contracts, domestic relations, eminent domain, fiduciaries, garnishments, homestead and all other exemptions, magistrates, mechanics' and other liens, notaries public and out-of-state commissioners, property and conveyances (except for landlord and tenant and condominium matters), wills and decedents' estates.

It shall report to the Senate the names of such persons as it shall find qualified for election as a Justice or Judge of the Commonwealth. Senators, all or part of whose Senate Districts are within the Circuit or District for which a Judge is to be elected, shall jointly nominate a qualified person for such elections.  If such Senators are unable to agree on a nominee, a Senator shall only nominate a person deemed qualified by the Committee for Courts of Justice for any judicial position.

Whenever a vacancy in the office of a justice of the Supreme Court or judge of the Court of Appeals is announced, the Chairman of the Committee for Courts of Justice shall establish a date certain by which any Senator may forward the name of any potential nominee for such office to the Chairman.