Dave Albo Opposes Term Limits for All VA Judges?

This just in... a citizen wrote to Dave Albo, Chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee last week asking him to support term limits for all VA judges. This is the verbatim correspondence dated February 26, 2009:

Citizen: "This is to encourage you to Institute Term Limits for ALL State Judges."

Dave Albo's Response: "The filing deadline has long passed for this year. You would need to get your Delegate or Senator to submit it for next year. The problem with this idea, and I think it sounds good, is that when a lawyer gives up his law practice to become a Judge, he has to disolve the entire practice. So if there are term limits, Judges would be totally out of work and unable to pay their bills after the expiration of their term. Dave"

Wait a second! We disagee with Dave Albo on this. If a circuit court judge had term limits (let's say 2 terms), he/she would know that they had a maximum term of 16 years on the bench. We think the judge would have plenty of time during those 16 years to find a new job before the end of his/her term. The McCammon Group hires plenty of retired judges. If the judge has a good reputation, he/she would have no trouble starting their own practice or joining another practice.
Only the bad judges would be "totally out of work and unable to pay their bills after the expiration of their term."

Ironically, many of the Courts of Justice Committee members supported Del. Bill Janis' bill to institute term limits for the VA Supreme Court Chief Justice. (Presumbaly because they do not like Chief Justice Hassell and he is in the midst of his 2nd term). But they will not support term limits for all judges in Virginia. We intend to lobby for new legislation next year that will impose term limits for all judges in Virginia.