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Ladies and
Gentlemen:
I know it has been a long time since our web page was up-dated
but we have a new format and some new information for you. I
hope you will take the time to take a look.
As many of you know the VMA has undergone some changes in
officers and this year is the election for Regional
representatives. You should have received notification and the
opportunity to submit your nominations for the positions. For
the past several years I have served your association and
members as the regional representative of Region 3. In addition
I have served as the Legislative Committee Chairman and
Constitutional and By-Laws Committee Chairman. The VMA Board has
faced many challenges during my tenure of service. I will be the
first to admit that all of our efforts have not achieved the
success we envisioned but many of the efforts were thwarted by
outside influences that we could not control. The VMA Board and
the Legislative Committee has worked hard to overcome these
obstacles and we have achieved some goals that I believe will
enable us to be more successful in the future. I have enjoyed my
work with the VMA and all of the magistrates who have assisted
me with their input and suggestions. The VMA cannot properly
represent our members with out the assistance and guidance from
its members. I have seen more communication from members in the
last year than ever before. It is this higher level of
communication and cooperation that has led me to seek the
position of regional representative for another term of office.
I hope each member of Region 3 will support me in this effort.
Please vote in the up-coming elections, whether you decide to
re-elect me as your representative or seek some one else. I
thank each of you for your support in the past and I look
forward to continuing the work of the VMA in the future. There
are several avenues that have recently opened that hold much
promise for improvements to the magistrates system in Virginia
and I would like to build on those opportunities as your
regional representative.
Recently myself, President Stanfield and our lobbyist, Mr David
Bailey had a very informative and productive meeting with Mr.
Karl Hade, Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court. Mr. Hade
was most gracious and gave us his full attention for an extended
period of time from his very busy schedule. The topics of
discussion, without going into specifics, involved salaries,
working conditions, retirement, qualifications for magistrates
in the future, to name a few. For the past year you have heard
the term “magistrate reforms” over and over again.
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The VMA is in complete agreement with some of the issues brought
to our attention by Mr. Hade. What remains to be seen is the
solution to those issues and I believe that the result will be a
better system for all magistrates. Mr. Hade has requested that
the VMA meet with him and members of his staff on a regular
basis and with more frequency than has happened in the past.
This in itself is a great step forward. The lines of
communication between the magistrates and the OES have opened as
never before.
I am very optimistic that the resulting discussions will be seen
favorably by all magistrates in Virginia. As magistrates we must
keep in mind that the objective of the OES and the VMA is to
improve the magistrate system as a whole. Regional and local
issues will be concerns but they will not override the goal of
statewide improvements for all magistrates. Mr. Hade has also
indicated that the Chief Justice will be taking an active role
in developing these reforms.
The challenges for the magistrate system in an ever evolving
justice system are great but the future looks brighter that ever
before. Your VMA is prepared to meet these challenges with
optimism and dedication. I would ask that our members and
magistrates statewide exercise patience during the development
period. Nothing will be resolved overnight and, therefore, we
should not let our expectations override a common sense approach
to the solutions that will be forthcoming.
Thanks to each and every magistrate that has worked so hard to
improve our system over the years and to support the efforts of
the VMA on your behalf. We must look forward to the future and
forget the past. What has happened in the past cannot be changed
but it can and will influence the progress of the future.
This is not a rumor and reforms are in the immediate future. Mr.
Hade has indicated his desire that the VMA be involved in the
development of these reforms and his offer has been accepted. I
found Mr. Hade’s comments and remarks very candid and open about
the present system and what he envisions for the future. I
believe that the VMA is in a far better position than ever
before to provide guidance and input into the shaping of the
future for Virginia magistrates. The issues relating to reform
will affect every segment of the system from the supervising
authority down to the Chief Magistrates and the magistrates.
Best Wishes to all,
Richard D. Cox-Magistrate (Retired)
VMA Board of Directors- Region 3
Representative
Legislative Committee Chairman
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