RECOMMENDATION PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS

                The Virginia Beach Bar Association Judicial Recommendation  Panel met on Saturday, January 21, 2012, to evaluate candidates for one opening each on the Virginia Beach Circuit Court, the Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and two openings on the General District Court benches.  The panel met to make recommendations regarding the Circuit Court Judgeship previously held by Judge Frederick B. Lowe, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judgeship  held by Judge Ramona Taylor and two General District Court Judgeships previously held by Judge Virginia L. Cochran and Judge Robert L. Simpson. Eighteen candidates were evaluated for one or more judgeships.

The Judicial Evaluation Panel interviewed the candidates following each of them having been nominated and seconded by bar members and otherwise meeting eligibility criteria.  The candidates’ nominations were then e-mailed to the bar membership, allowing for consideration and comment by other members of the bar association.  Following the interviews, certain candidates were evaluated as “Highly Recommended,” or “Recommended”.

The following candidates were “Highly Recommended” for Circuit Court:

• Honorable Gene A. Woolard
• Honorable Steven C. Frucci
• James Lewis

The following candidates were “Recommended” for Circuit Court:

• Honorable Teresa Hammons
• Richard Garriott, Jr.
• Christopher Boynton

The following candidates were “Highly Recommended” for General District Court:

• Honorable Daniel Lahne
• Lisa Hodges
• Afshin Farashahi
• Tanya Bullock
• Richard Garriott, Jr.

The following candidates were “Recommended” for General District Court

• Catherine M. Six
• Kathryn Byler
• Christopher Boynton
• Vivian Henderson
• Gordon Ufkes
• Phillip Hollowell

The following candidates were “Highly Recommended” for Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court:

• Afshin Farashahi
• Tanya Bullock
• Richard Garriott, Jr.

The following candidates were “Recommended” for Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court:

• Catherine M. Six
• Geoffrey S. Darnell
• Chester Smith
• Gordon Ufkes

The Virginia Beach Bar Association Judicial Recommendation Panel was comprised of the following attorneys: Timothy Quick, Swartz, Taliaferro, Swartz & Goodove, P.C. (Chairman); Brett B. Thompson, Thompson Law Group;  Jim St.Clair, Norris & St.Clair, P.C.;  Mona Flax, Office of Mona Schapiro Flax, P.C.; Ryan Ferguson, Kaufman & Canoles, P.C.; Gregory Turpin, Clarke, Dolph, Rapaport, Hull, Brunick & Garriott, PLC;  Honorable J. Dale Bimson, Pender & Coward, P.C..