An openly gay prosecutor from Richmond has been appointed to a temporary judgeship. Tracy Thorne-Begland will become a General District Court judge.
A month ago, the General Assembly refused to appoint Thorne-Begland to a permanent post. Some Republicans cited Thorne-Begland's support of gay marriage as a reason to deny him the position. Thorne-Begland is a former fighter pilot and officer in the Navy. He was kicked out of the Navy nearly 20 years ago after admitting he's gay.
In a statement, one of Thorne-Begland's supporters praised today's appontment made by judges of the Richmond Circuit Court. “I applaud the circuit court judges for recognizing Mr. Thorne-Begland’s skill, qualifications and competency and putting aside bigotry, prejudice and false excuses," state Senator Don McEachin wrote. "I have always had and continue to have the utmost confidence in Mr. Thorne-Begland’s ability to serve our community and I am gratified to see that the circuit court judges share my confidence."
Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia, also issued a statement regarding the appointment of Thorne-Begland.
"The Family Foundation successfully shined light on the political record of Mr. Thorne-Begland. As a member of the court, he now has the responsibility to uphold the Constitution, not apply his own personal, political agenda or viewpoint. Because of our efforts, he will be watched very closely in the coming years, particularly if he is elevated to any higher court in the future," Cobb write in the statement. "The process of judicial appointments should never simply be a rubber stamp, but deserves serious and deliberative action by the legislature. Hopefully, this incident will encourage deeper scrutiny of judicial candidates in the future."
