VIRGINIA BEACH
Chuck Griffith, a controversial judge who lost his bid for reappointment to the Norfolk Circuit Court this year, has accepted a position at the Virginia Beach commonwealth's attorney's office.
Chief prosecutor Harvey Bryant said Griffith assumed a newly created position May 1 as coordinator of major violent crimes cases, handling homicide, rape, robbery, malicious-wounding and other cases in an office with an expanding workload.
Last month, Bryant acknowledged that he had approached Griffith about the possibility of taking a significant role in his office once the General Assembly failed to reappoint him.
Griffith, 52, started the job the day his judgeship expired.
A prosecutor or judge since 1983, Griffith will review investigations on certain cases and assist other attorneys in trial preparation and strategy. Griffith's first case will be the murder trial of Paul Parlier.
Parlier is accused of shooting a man he thought was having an affair with his wife, killing him and another man outside a home on Callahan Court, near South Independence Boulevard nearly two years ago.
Bryant said Griffith will also apply to be designated as a special assistant United States attorney to prosecute Virginia Beach cases in federal court when the opportunity presents itself.
"The law-abiding people of Virginia Beach are very fortunate that Chuck will be continuing his outstanding career of public service in our city," Bryant said. "I don't know of another prosecutor in the state who can match his resume."
Griffith, a former assistant U.S. attorney who worked with Bryant in Norfolk, was elected Norfolk's commonwealth's attorney in 1992 and won re-election twice as a Republican. He had served as a circuit judge since 2000.
His critics raised concerns about his courtroom outbursts and rulings that were overturned by higher courts as reasons why he should not remain a judge. Griffith blamed "politics in Norfolk" as the reason he lost his seat and said he has placed the situation behind him.
"My whole career has been dedicated to public service," he said. "I have been involved in this so long that the transition from one job to another has not been difficult."
The centerpiece of his new office is a card, which someone gave him when he was headed off to law school. The thought bubble over the Peanuts character Snoopy reads, "Keep cool."
"That's been my philosophy," Griffith said. "My attitude is that you can't change the past. I have got to move forward."
Duane Bourne, (757) 222-5150, duane.bourne@pilotonline.com
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Come on now
Regulon, you're a few months late to be celebrating the utter failure of our so-called representatives to reappoint Chuck Griffith to the bench.
Obviously, you spend no time in the Norfolk Circuit Court because things are now a mess with 75+ year-old, slow as molasses, substitutes in every other courtroom, but none of that is the topic at hand. The former judge has moved on; it's a shame that others insist on drudging up the past when it isn't relevant.
Anyway, I wish Chuck the best in his new position. I think he'll be great, and I'm glad he's in Va. Beach.
Sorry regulon101 – You Are Just Wrong
Regulon101 does not know what he or she is talking about. First, Griffith rarely rejected a plea agreement. Second, most of the sentences he imposed were within the guidelines set by the state. Where he earned his reputation for being tough was that he didn’t believe in giving criminals repeated opportunities to violate their probation and he didn’t believe in letting the few lawyers who think the court system exists for their benefit to get away with breaking the rules. Most lawyers liked his courtroom.
No – Griffith wasn’t reappointed for two reasons. First, Senator Yvonne Miller opposed his reappointment as political retaliation against the Republicans who declined to reappoint a black female General District Court judge eight years ago. Griffith had nothing to do with that, but he paid the price. Second, Senator Ralph Northam and his buddy, Sheriff McCabe, wanted him out because they wrongly believed he influenced the selection of judges in Norfolk and, they, especially the Sheriff, wanted to swing their political weight.
Those are the facts – pure and simple. The few lawyers who complained about him only provided cover to the dirty work done by those
Judge Griffith
I say hooray! for the ouster of Chuck Griffith. Some called him the 'hangin judge'. Most lawyers hated to face him because he disrespected them and he was seldom open to a plea. Many lawyers got contiunances because he was sitting on the bench. His intractability often caused the overturn of his sentencing on appeal..
I call him Maximum Chuck. He had no medium point. Ir was always maximum Chuck. He should have been fired a long time ago. Judges who have cannot be reasoned with, who remorselessly pursue their own aganda do a disservice to the community. We know everyone wants the criminal to pay.However, A saying goes that 'justice without mercy, is merely vengeance". That was Maximum Chuck.
He now gets the benefits of cronyism. Virginia Beach created a job especially for him, assistant DA, on a special task force. He can now put his Maximum Chuck persona to work. I feel sorry for anyone who is pinged on his radar. I am sure he will relentless pursue any suspect, guilty or not ;and do his maximum best to flood the court with his brand or merciless justice.
Good for Chuck, wrong Judge sidelined
Good people always land on their feet! The task of ridding the Norfolk Circuit Courts of Judges that don't meet the public's expectations is ongoing. Chuck was the wrong Judge to replace but let's not let that mistake stop us from doing the right thing. Judge Norman "Ocean View" Thomas should be next to be sent to the showers like a pitcher who couldn't perform in the clinch.
Chuck Griffith
You can say what you want about Chuck Griffith but people who have worked with him know first hand that he's a great attorney, fair minded and a straight shooter. He's everything the majority of the lawyers in this area are NOT and nver will be. That's the problem....he's better than they are.