Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 12, 1994                   TAG: 9403120160
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ADRIENNE PETTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

2 CHOSEN FOR VACANT JUDGESHIPS

General District Judge William Alexander II will step up to circuit judge for the 22nd District. Commonwealth's Attorney Cliff Hapgood has been appointed to take his place.

The General Assembly appointed Alexander to fill a vacancy created when Judge Robert Vines died in late February.

Vines died of a heart attack, almost a year after he was appointed as circuit judge for the district, which includes Franklin County, Pittsylvania County and Danville.

Alexander's appointment goes into effect Wednesday, but he has not decided when he will start.

Alexander, 49, has been serving as general district judge since 1984. Before that, he was in private practice with the law firm of Greer and Alexander from 1971 until being elected commonwealth's attorney in 1975.

He said that he is excited about the new post, although he'll have to make some adjustments.

"I feel real happy," Alexander said. "I feel honored and excited, a little scared, a little apprehensive."

Hapgood, 47, has an even bigger transition to make, but he said he relishes the challenge.

"I feel fantastic," he said. "I'm really very humbled by it."

He served as assistant commonwealth's attorney starting in 1977. When Alexander was named general district judge, Hapgood replaced him as commonwealth's attorney in 1984.

Hapgood's interim replacement will be named by the local circuit judges. A special election will be held in November.

Both Hapgood and Alexander received law degrees from the University of Virginia.

Hapgood, who now walks to work every day, said he'll have to buy a car to make it to Pittsylvania County to hear cases twice a week. His only car is a 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit. "It won't go over 60 miles per hour," he said.

Reminded that the speed limit is 55 mph, he said, "That's right. I'd have to stop and give myself a ticket."

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994