Saturday, July 19, 2008
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Tracking Virginia’s General Assembly
since 2007.
HB903: Magistrates; reforms system by transferring appointment and supervisory responsibilities.
Chief Patron
Del.
Lacey Putney (I-19)
Lacey Putney
(I-19)
Bedford, VA
Served: 1962–
Progress
 |
Introduced |
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Passed Committee |
|
Passed House |
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Passed Senate |
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Signed by Governor |
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Became Law |
Status
03/11/2008: signed by governor
Summary
Magistrates. Reforms the magistrate system by transferring appointment and supervisory responsibilities from the circuit court judges to the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court. The bill requires certain minimum educational requirements for magistrates and also broadens magistrates' geographical assignment from within a particular judicial district to regions established by the Executive Secretary.
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Votes were cast on this bill on the following dates for which Richmond Sunlight has video: 02/01/2008, 02/01/2008, 02/05/2008, 02/08/2008, 02/08/2008, 02/11/2008, 02/12/2008, 02/13/2008, 02/13/2008, 02/15/2008, 02/15/2008, 02/26/2008, 02/26/2008 and 03/11/2008.
Identical Bills
The following bills are identical to this one: SB244
Introduced: 2008-01-08
Status: signed by governor
Poll Results
61 votes
Tags
Bill Text
Related Bills
Status: Failed to Pass in Committee
Status: Failed to Pass in Committee
Status: In Committee
Status: signed by governor
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Comments
THIS IS A GOOD REFORM ALL THE WAY UP TO REGIONAL AUTHORITY. AUTHORITY SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER THE COMMONWEALTH.
Please table a portion of this bill. Magistrate refrom needs legislative study before implemented. Very costly proposal in a budget-shortfall year. Also, demoralizing to incumbent magistrates who are hard working 24/7 state employees.
Since this is a Judicial appointment, then I feel that either the entire Supreme Court or at least the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court should make the appointment(s). The Office of the Executive Secretary is not a judicial body, they are the administrative arm of the court. The actual appointment of a judicial officer should be made by a Judicial body or Judicial Officer.
This bill creates a new layer of government and will be costly over the next 10 years. A sleeker and fairer reorganization is possible. The plan has too many flaws and would not serve the courts or the Commonwealth very well.
This bill is deeply flawed. It creates a new layer of government and is overly ambitious. It requires things of magistrates, not required of judges. Had a large, representative group of magistrates been invited to the table we could have improved this bill considerably.It should be tabled until it can be improved.