Black book kept tabs on Beach judges
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: Jon Frank
Source: The Virginian-Pilot
Date: 6/20/2007
Article reports that Commonwealth Attorney Harvey Bryant kept a log book detailing what he thought were questionable decisions by several of Virginia Beachs Circuit Court judges. Covering the years since Bryant became the citys attorney in 2000, the book outlines cases handled by five of the citys nine judges. Many of the instances noted include reduced or dismissed DUI charges. In 2002, Beach police issued 2,522 charges their highest yearly number of DUI charges. The existence of Bryants book became known after the citys nine judges filed a complaint against Bryant and the Virginia State Bar. The judges allege that Bryant may have violated the bars ethical rules by spilling the beans at a public gathering in February. Bryant defends his practice of keeping tabs on judges saying that if legislators wanted judges to have the discretion to defer a DUI charge, they would have granted it to them.