By Taylor Boyd
The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Patrick County, Stephanie Brinegar-Vipperman, soon will be taking on a new role. She was recently appointed as a judge by the Virginia General Assembly to the General District Court.
She will start her six-year term on May 1.
Vipperman said the nomination arose after Judge David Williams retried from the Henry County Circuit Court bench in February.
During the General Assembly, legislators “decided that Judge James McGarry, who is the Henry County General District Court judge, will move up to Circuit Court, and that I will take Judge McGarry’s spot on the Henry County General District Court,” she said.
The position of Patrick County’s Commonwealth Attorney will be filled by interim
For the interim, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dayna Kendrick Bobbitt will head the office in Patrick County. A special election will be held in November.
Bobbitt “intends to run for” the post, Vipperman said, adding that “if she wins the special election then she’ll have to rerun during the normal election year in 2023” for a standard four-year term.
Bobbitt will assume the duties of interim as Vipperman is sworn in for her judgeship.
“I haven’t scheduled my investiture, which is your swearing in date, but as soon as I’m sworn in, I can no longer be a Commonwealth Attorney. So, somewhere probably in that last week of April. I just don’t know what day yet,” she said.
The judicial district’s legislators include Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart; Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville; Del. Les Adams, R-Chatham; and State Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Moneta.
After the district’s legislators decide on a selection, the name is presented to the entire Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate for a vote of approval.
“Normally, that vote is pretty standard. They rely on the delegations of each district to kind of pick the right choice and they don’t go back and second guess them or do much behind them,” Vipperman said.
Vipperman first realized she wanted to be a lawyer after watching the movie, “The Client,” when she was 13. She later attended Lynchburg College where she double majored in political science and history and was ranked number one in her class. She then attended law school at the University of Richmond T.C. Williams School of Law. She accepted a position in the Martinsville Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and served as the Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney.
She has held the elected position of Commonwealth’s Attorney for Patrick County for since January 2008.