By Daniela Deane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 1, 2008; B07

The Virginia General Assembly has picked a veteran juvenile and domestic court judge to become the first African American judge on the Alexandria Circuit Court.

The elevation of Chief Judge Nolan Dawkins of Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to an eight-year term on the city's highest court came at the end of last week's legislative session in Richmond, ending several years of political wrangling and jockeying.

When Dawkins first sought a circuit court seat in 2004, a battle erupted between Democrats and Republicans. Dawkins withdrew his name after the Republican-controlled House of Delegates refused to back him, and then-Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) selected another candidate almost two years later.

Dawkins vied for the Circuit Court again when another chance emerged, this time facing strong competition from Alexandria District Court Judge Becky Moore. The two candidates drew almost equal support from the 300-member Alexandria Bar Association.

"It was a long, arduous thing, but ultimately Judge Dawkins's qualifications won out," said Del. Brian J. Moran of Alexandria, a member of the Courts of Justice Committee and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. "This was our second try." Moran said Dawkins's appointment was delayed twice "because of partisan politics."

The General Assembly votes on judicial appointments for courts throughout the state, weighing recommendations of local delegations, which in turn weigh the recommendations of local bar associations. There were 37 vacant judgeships statewide this year; lawmakers filled 25 during their last session. Moran said several controversial judgeships in other parts of Virginia were left unfilled because of a lack of consensus. The governor has the power to make temporary appointments when the legislature is out of session.

The General Assembly also appointed Donald M. Haddock Jr., a son of Alexandria Circuit Court Chief Judge Donald M. Haddock Sr., to the city's General District Court bench. The two appointments filled vacancies left by retiring judges.

"I'm pleased I will get a chance to serve on the Circuit Court," Dawkins said yesterday. "I'm going to one of the finest circuit courts in the state. And Alexandria has, and will continue to have, one of the finest juvenile courts. So I'm trading a half-dozen for six of the other."

Dawkins, 60, grew up in Alexandria, attended the city's last segregated high school and reared three daughters in the house where he grew up. He served 14 years on the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. "I'll never forget where I came from and the people I served there," he said.

Dawkins, a tall, lanky man with salt-and-pepper hair, is well known around Alexandria.

"I am sure that Nolan Dawkins and Donald Haddock Jr. will prove to be excellent judges, and I look forward to working with both," said Alexandria Commonwealth's Attorney S. Randolph Sengel. "I am glad the General Assembly finally got around to dealing with this issue. It is clear that the selection of judges in Virginia has been hampered by needless partisan bickering and the inability of the Assembly to reach consensus in a timely manner, and that's a sad state of affairs."

Sengel said the judgeships "should have been filled in January."

The precedent set by the Dawkins appointment as the first African American on the Circuit Court was seen as important for a city with a large black population. In 2006, 62 percent of defendants in Alexandria Circuit Court were black, according to the city's tracking system.

Having a black Circuit Court judge in Alexandria would give "credibility to the system," retiring Circuit Court Judge John E. Kloch told The Washington Post last year.

Moran said Dawkins "represents Alexandria. He's part of the fabric of what makes Alexandria what it is."

Asked about the significance of the appointment, Dawkins said: "The bottom line . . . considering the evolution of this city from a small Southern town to a very progressive community, is it is significant. And that's because of the people I have served and will be serving in the future."