THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606140002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 26 lines
History will be made in Virginia Beach July 12 when A. Joseph Canada - a Republican - is sworn in as a judge in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
As hard as it is to believe, while the color and gender barriers to the bench fell years ago, the good old boys in Richmond couldn't bring themselves to remove the political impediments to judicial appointments until this year.
But Democrats are already out to spoil Canada's big day. James F. Almand, a Democrat who heads the General Assembly's House Courts Committee, could not resist engaging in a little last-minute poor sportsmanship this week by criticizing Canada for allowing his name to appear on an invitation for a Coleman Andrews fund-raiser this month.
This is a nonissue and a highly hypocritical one, too. There is not a judge in the state who didn't earn his or her robe by dutifully serving his or her political party first.
Canada has said he will cease all political activities after he is sworn in, and we trust he will honor that vow - at least as well as his formerly Democratic colleagues have. by CNB