House vote sinks openly gay judicial nominee

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Tue May 15, 2012, 10:20 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: Virginian-Pilot, Associated Press

The Associated Press
© May 15, 2012
By Bob Lewis

RICHMOND

The House of Delegates, voting in Tuesday's early morning hours, blocked an openly gay Richmond prosecutor from appointment to a General District Court judgeship in the city.

Tracy Thorne-Begland received 33 yes votes, 31 no votes — all from Republicans — and 10 abstentions in his bid to become what gay-rights advocates said would have been Virginia's first openly gay jurist. Twenty-six House members, including seven Democrats, did not vote.
....

Thorne-Begland, a former Navy pilot who was honorably discharged after publicly disclosing his sexual orientation, was one of only two candidates among scores of judicial nominees not to be approved during a 'round-the-clock marathon that lingered from 1 p.m. Monday to 2 a.m. Tuesday.
....

Among Thorne-Begland's fiercest critics was Del. Robert G. Marshall, an outspokenly anti-gay Republican from Prince William who is among four candidates seeking the GOP's U.S. Senate nomination in next month's primary.

Read more: http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/house-vote-sinks-openly-gay-judicial-nominee

---

Tracy Thorne-Begland

House rejects Thorne-Begland for judgeship as social conservatives prevail

By: Jim Nolan | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Published: May 15, 2012
Updated: May 15, 2012 - 2:40 AM

RICHMOND, Va. --
UPDATE: 2 a.m.

A late-hour lobbying offensive by social conservatives prevailed in the House of Delegates early Tuesday to torpedo bipartisan support for the judicial nomination of an openly gay Richmond prosecutor.

After a lengthy discussion, the GOP-controlled House of Delegates defeated the nomination of Tracy Thorne-Begland, Richmond's chief deputy commonwealth's attorney. He would have been the first openly gay judge elected in Virginia.

Thorne-Begland received 33 votes, and 31 delegates voted against him. He needed a majority of the 100-member House -- 51 votes -- to secure the judgeship.
....

But his nomination came under fire late last week, as the Family Foundation and Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, stoked fears that the 45-year-old attorney would allow his sexual orientation to influence his judicial decisions.

House of Delegates rejects gay judge Tracy Thorne-Begland

“He holds himself out as being married,” said Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who is running for U.S. Senate. Noting that gay marriage is not legal in Virginia, he said that Thorne-Begland’s “life is a contradiction to the requirement of submission to the constitution.”

Submission to the constitution? Whatever happened to "Sic Semper Tyrannis?"

[WillParkinson]

1. I swear we need computers in charge...

No emotion, no sentiment, no agenda....

Doubt that would make Republicans happy either.

[dbackjon]

2. Hurray for State's Rigths!!!!

[fascisthunter]

3. Fucking Bigots want to shove their religious hatred

towards others down everyone's throats by using our government to do it. Fuck you... fucking evolve already and get over your obviously fear/hate-filled prejudices. Hypocritical Cowards!

[madashelltoo]

4. These jackasses are so going to regret these moves.

And sooner than they think.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. "Regret" requres a conscience

Sociopathic teabaggers have no such encumbrance.

[madashelltoo]

10. The blast of fire that's going to hit their asses

doesn't require a conscience. All they have to be is conscious.

[yellowcanine]

5. This is a huge problem for Gov. McDonnell and taints him as a VP candidate.

He could likely have gotten the votes if he had twisted more Republican arms.

[Blue_Tires]

7. Actually, his usual "trick" is to let this go on, and later appear as the "voice of moderate reason"

[BlueIris]

6. Klassy. nt

[catbyte]

11. Shameful

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. Virginia General Assembly rejects openly gay prosecutor for Richmond judgeship

Above the fold on the front page of the Washington Post, Wednesday morning:

Virginia General Assembly rejects openly gay prosecutor for Richmond judgeship

By Laura Vozzella, Published: May 15The Washington Post RICHMOND — Guns, gays and organized labor.

Three outspoken champions of these hot-button issues in Virginia were on the list of people the General Assembly planned to appoint as judges this week.
....

Thorne-Begland’s critics conceded that the two former delegates appointed Tuesday, like the many former lawmakers now on the bench, had taken public positions on countless issues during their political careers. Republican former delegate C.L. “Clay” Athey Jr. of Warren was outspoken on gun rights as a House member, and Democratic former delegate Clarence E. “Bud” Phillips of Southside Virginia was a supporter of labor.

But Thorne-Begland’s advocacy was different, they said, because it amounted to military insubordination and a challenge to the state constitution, which bans gay marriage and civil unions.

“He holds himself out as being married,” said Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who is running for U.S. Senate. He said Thorne-Begland’s “life is a contradiction to the requirement of submission to the constitution.”

Editorial:

Bigotry blocks a gay Virginian from the bench

By Editorial Board, Published: May 15The Washington Post IF ANYTHING, Tracy Thorne-Begland, a top state prosecutor in Richmond with a decade of courtroom experience, is overqualified for a judgeship on the General District Court. Mr. Thorne-Begland, who has prosecuted dozens of homicides and other major felonies, runs one of the biggest commonwealth’s attorney’s offices in Virginia. The caseload of the court to which he was nominated consists mainly of traffic violations, minor crimes and run-of-the-mill civil disputes over contracts and late rent payments.

But the judicial nomination of Mr. Thorne-Begland, a former Navy fighter pilot who is gay, was sabotaged by an ugly campaign of homophobic bigotry led by Virginia Republicans. In a vote at 1 a.m. Tuesday, the GOP-dominated House of Delegates, with an avowed homophobe leading the charge, killed his candidacy, thereby ensuring that Virginia state courts remain free of openly gay judges.
....

But for House Republicans, and for the Family Foundation, an anti-gay group that stirred up opposition to Mr. Thorne-Begland’s nomination, his sexual orientation trumped his copious professional qualifications. Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who last year expressed the view that gays are “intrinsically disordered,” denounced the nominee as “an aggressive activist for the pro-homosexual agenda.”
....

No matter how they dressed it up, the Republicans’ opposition boiled down to old-fashioned prejudice. Even by voting at 1 a.m., they couldn’t hide the fact that bigotry and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is alive and well in the state of Virginia.

Above the Law:

http://abovethelaw.com/2012/05/openly-gay-judicial-nomination-defeated-for-being-gay-and-thats-it

[mahatmakanejeeves]

13. Here is the roll call vote

Here is the roll call vote

Here is the roll call vote in the House of Delegates early Tuesday on Tracy Thorne-Begland, Richmond's chief deputy commonwealth's attorney, who was rejected for a judgeship in general district court. Thorne-Begland received 33 yea votes and 31 delegates voted against him. He needed a majority of the chamber -- 51 votes, to be elected.


Yeas (33)

David B. Albo, R-Fairfax
Kenneth C. Alexander, D-Norfolk
Mamye E. BaCote, D-Newport News
David L. Bulova, D-Fairfax
Betsy B. Carr, D-Richmond
Barbara J. Comstock, R-Fairfax
Rosalyn R. Dance, D-Petersburg
Peter F. Farrell, R-Henrico
Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax
Charniele L. Herring, D-Alexandria
Patrick A. Hope, D-Arlington
Algie T. Howell, D-Norfolk
Matthew James, D-Portsmouth
Mark L. Keam, D-Fairfax
Terry G. Kilgore, R-Scott
L. Kaye Kory, D-Fairfax
James M. LeMunyon, R-Fairfax
Lynwood W. Lewis Jr., D-Accomack
Alfonso H. Lopez, D-Arlington
G. Manoli Loupassi, R-Richmond
Jennifer L. McClellan, D-Richmond
Delores L. McQuinn, D-Richmond
Joseph D. Morrissey, D-Henrico
Thomas Davis Rust, R-Fairfax
James M. Scott, D-Fairfax
Mark D. Sickles, D-Fairfax
Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake
Scott A. Surovell, D-Fairfax
Luke Torian, D-Prince William
David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville
Jeion A. Ward, D-Hampton
Vivian E. Watts, D-Fairfax
Joseph A. Yost, R-Montgomery


Nays (31)

Richard L. Anderson, R-Prince William
Richard P. "Dickie" Bell, R-Staunton
Robert B. Bell, R-Albemarle
Kathy J. Byron, R-Campbell
Benjamin L. Cline, R-Rockbridge
Mark L. Cole, R-Spotsylvania
John A. Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake
John A. Cox, R-Hanover
L. Mark Dudenhefer, R-Stafford
James E. Edmunds II, R-Halifax
C. Matthew Fariss, R-Campbell
T. Scott Garrett, R-Lynchburg
Thomas A. "Tag" Greason, R-Loudoun
Gordon C. Helsel Jr., R-Poquoson
M. Keith Hodges, R-Middlesex
Timothy D. Hugo, R-Fairfax
Salvatore R. Iaquinto, R-Virginia Beach
Barry D. Knight, R-Virginia Beach
L. Scott Lingamfelter, R-Prince William
Daniel W. Marshall III, R-Danville
Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William
Jimmie Massie, R-Henrico
Donald W. Merricks, R-Pittsylvania
James W. "Will" Morefield, R-Tazewell
Brenda L. Pogge, R-James City
Charles D. Poindexter, R-Franklin County
David I. Ramadan, R-Loudoun
Roxann L. Robinson, R-Chesterfield
Ron Villanueva, R-Virginia Beach
Michael B. Watson, R-Williamsburg
Tony O. Wilt, R-Rockingham


Abstensions (10)

M. Kirkland Cox, R-Colonial Heights
Anne B. Crockett-Stark, R-Wythe
Riley E. Ingram, R-Hopewell
R. Steven Landes, R-Augusta
Israel D. O'Quinn, R-Bristol
Lacey E. Putney, I-Bedford
Larry N. Rush, R-Montgomery
Edward T. Scott, R-Madison
Beverly J. Sherwood, R-Frederick
Chris Stolle, R-Virginia Beach


Not voting (26)

Robert H. Brink, D-Arlington
David L. Englin, D-Alexandria
C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah
Gregory D. Habeeb, R-Salem
Christopher T. Head, R-Roanoke
William J. Howell, R-Stafford
Johnny S. Joannou, D-Portsmouth
Joseph P. Johnson Jr., D-Washington County
S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk
Joe T. May, R-Loudoun
Jackson H. Miller, R-Manassas
J. Randall "Randy" Minchew, R-Leesburg
Richard L. Morris, R-Isle of Wight
John M. O'Bannon III, R-Henrico
Robert D. Orrock Sr., R-Caroline
Christopher K. Peace, R-Hanover
Kenneth R. Plum, D-Fairfax
Harry R. Purkey, R-Virginia Beach
Margaret B. Ransone, R-Westmoreland
Robert Tata, R-Virginia Beach
Roslyn C. Tyler, D-Sussex
Onzlee Ware, D-Roanoke
R. Lee Ware Jr., R-Powhatan
Michael J. Webert, R-Fauquier
Thomas C. Wright Jr., R-Lunenberg
David E. Yancey, R-Newport News

[beac]

14. And here's a link where you can send a message to every one of those bigots

telling them what you think of their disgusting vote:

https://secure3.convio.net/pn/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2403&AddInterest=2311&JServSessionIdr004=ho82qgdz82.app334b


My fellow Virginians especially, PLEASE do this and pass it on to others in the Commonwealth.