Legislators tasked with filling judicial vacancies were interviewing potential candidates this week, including Joan Ziglar, former Martinsville Commonwealth’s Attorney and Kelli A. Krumenacker, a Martinsville attorney for nearly 30 years.
The two are being considered for a District Court judgeship in Martinsville-Henry County that became available after Eric Monday withdrew from consideration for a judicial vacancy on Thursday.
In a statement announcing his withdrawal, Monday cited a “well-organized campaign by people grinding very rusty, old axes, to attack my character, professional reputation and competency to be a judge. This campaign was also designed to tarnish my ‘legitimacy,’ in the event I was actually selected. It is apparent to me that this campaign has at least partially succeeded.
“… To those who had a hand in this terrible and humiliating experience— I have prayed about this a great deal. It is well with my soul. I forgive you,” Monday wrote.
He declined to comment further.
Monday was among the field of candidates for three vacant judgeships, two of which will be created by the retirements of judges Martin F. Clark in Circuit Court and Bob Bushnell in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
A third opening, in General District Court, was created in 2011 with the retirement of R. Morgan Armstrong, and recently funded by the state.
After having already passed many of the required hurdles, Monday was a step away from being named a General District Court Judge in the 21st Judicial District, according to a joint statement from State Sen. Bill Stanley and Dels. Charles Poindexter, Danny Marshall and Les Adams.
He had previously appeared at a public hearing of the joint House Judicial Panel and Senate Committee for Courts of Justice where his application was reviewed, and was “subsequently certified without objection, and with our concurrence, as qualified for the position by the full House and Senate Courts of Justice Committees, respectively. In consideration of his decision today, we wish to publically express our appreciation to Mr. Monday for his previous decision to apply for the position and willingness to be considered for service to the judiciary,” they added.
“Eric Monday is a great guy,” Stanley, R-Moneta, said.
In meetings on Feb. 7 and Feb. 11, the Patrick County Bar Association and the Martinsville Henry County Bar Association, respectively rated Monday unqualified to serve on the bench. The decision in Patrick was unanimous, with a majority tally in Martinsville Henry County.
Those opinions were forwarded to the delegation tasked with filling the vacancies, as is the customary procedure.
Stanley said that to his knowledge, Monday was not asked to withdraw as a candidate, “not by me or anyone else” as a result. He explained the opinions of local bar associations are only one among several factors considered.
For instance, candidates also need experience in several areas of law, such as governmental, family, contract and others, and had been certified as qualified by both the full House and Senate Courts of Justice Committees, Stanley said.
He added that he does not know when a decision will be reached to fill the vacancy. It may be as early as next week or after legislators reconvene in April.
(The full text of Monday’s statement appears in the Viewpoints section of The Enterprise.)
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