In 2004, a vacancy occurred on the Alexandria Circuit Court bench. As had been their practice for years, the Alexandria Bar Association had an election and recommended that Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Nolan Dawkins be elevated to Circuit Court. The Alexandria delegation agreed. Who didn't?
Well, see there are no Republicans in the Alexandria delegation so Bob McDonnell and Dave Albo decided they knew best and instead tried to put Dave Albo's friend, Tim Battle on the bench.
The problem was that Battle hadn't even gone through the bar process and the local bar blew a gasket. Luckily, Senator Chichester wanted nothing to do with this, and the nomination was blocked for a year until the new Court's of Justice Chair, Dave Albo, finally relented and agreed to elect Lisa Kemler who had agreed to accept an interim appointment by Governor Warner. At the time, many saw it as the Republicans trying to stick a finger in the eye of Alexandria native Governor Mark Warner and Minority Leader Brian Moran.
Fast-forward to 2007. Another retirement has occurred and what does our hero tell The Alexandria Connection about his good City of Alexandria neighbors?
Our position is that majority party chooses — and that’s the way it’s always been," said Del. David Albo (R-42), chairman of the Courts of Justice Committee. Selecting Judges in Virginia, Alexandria Connection (Oct. 24, 2007).We guess he quickly forgot about the last round where Albo and Bob McDonnell got slapped down by the Senate and had to capitulate.
You know, who cares about merit in any event? Who cares about who the local bar or local delegation thinks is best? Who cares about the best man or woman for the job? Not Del. Dave Albo.
What can we expect? Who did Del. Dave Albo's Republican Caucus nominate in the last three years for two Northern Virginia seats on the Court of Appeals? Lawyers from Lynchburg, Stafford, and Richmond - Speaker Howell's college roommate, a Republican prosecutor, and the former Republican Acting Attorney General turned law firm PAC contact who had no real world experience in the court's areas of law. Now that's some real power there Delegate.
We wait to see whether Del. Dave Albo shows some courtesy to his fellow Northern Virginians or picks another buddy of his - or maybe we should go look at what attorney's in Alexandria have been giving Speaker Howell money instead? He seems to be calling the shots anyways.
