KAPPA NEWS: LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
and criminal procedure, constitutional law, and criminal law especially helpful.
and abiding goal.
tional freedoms.
Q: What are your expectations of law- yers and litigants in your courtroom?
Q: What responsibility do you think a judge has to be involved in the commu- nity? I believe a judge has a responsibility to be involved in his or her community as long as the judge’s involvement does not violate the Judicial Code of Conduct for United States Judges. A judge’s activity may not reasonably be seen as impairing the judge’s capacity to decide impartially any issues that may come before the judge or create the reality or appearance of impropriety. Q: What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a career in the legal profession? in a legal career. I note that when I handle a criminal matter on the bench there are persons from different legal oc- cupations involved with the proceeding: Defense Attorney, Prosecutor, Probation Officer, Case Agent or Investigator, Law Clerk, Courtroom Deputy Clerk, Court Reporter, Court Security Officer, and United States Marshal; and there are many other unnamed legal professionals. So I encourage anyone to pursue a legal career he or she chooses. The legal profession provides numerous career opportunities for those interested
Q: How would you describe your legal practice prior to becoming a judge?
The late Professor Charles Hamilton Houston believed a lawyer is either a “social engineer or a parasite on society.” Considering his view with which I agree, I expect lawyers to come fully prepared to litigate their cases not only with a duty to their client but also to seek to do justice, mindful of their duty to society. Additionally, I expect both lawyers and litigants to be respectful to each other, the court and the rule of law. Q: How would you like your judicial career to be remembered? What do you like most about your job? I cherish the unique opportunity I have been given to resolve some of the most complex legal issues which our courts face. When my judicial career is con- cluded, I would like to be remembered as a judge who sought equal treatment for all litigants, who was open minded to avoid rigid enforcement of the law and, who was fair, informed, and prepared. Kappa Alpha Psi ® has provided me with a host of role models starting in college. Throughout the years, I have found the consistent interest of Kappa men in achievement to be contagious. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity has provided a vibrant forum for social and intellec- tual discourse through its community activities and monthly meetings. For me, Kappa alpha Psi is and has always been a safe haven for interaction with men of achievement. Q: How has Kappa Alpha Psi ® played a role in your legal or educational career?
Before becoming a judge, I had a com- prehensive and diverse exposure to fed- eral litigation. I began my legal career as a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps where I represented hundreds of servicemen in courts martial and administrative hear- ings for criminal offenses, retiring after over two decades as a military lawyer. Thereafter, I served as an Executive Assistant United States Attorney, Chief of Civil Division and Chief of Criminal Division in the Norfolk and Newport News Divisions of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. In the Criminal Division I prosecuted and supervised a great variety of federal criminal cases to include white collar of- fenses and violent offenses. In the civil division, I represented the United States in a variety of civil matters to include medical malpractice suits, personal injury cases, bankruptcies, etc. These experiences provided me with a thorough understanding of the federal litigation that I now adjudicate in federal court; additionally, I spent over a decade as an adjunct law faculty member teach- ing at the William and Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is said that all power corrupts and absolute power corrects absolutely. To control this potential problem, the American Constitution created a system of checks and balances in the powers and responsibilities of our three branch- es of government: the executive, legisla- tive, and judicial branches. The judicial branch in which I serve, through its rulings, prevents the unbridled exercise of power and the erosion of our constitu- Q: What would you say is the purpose of the system of checks and balances?
Q: What motto do you live by?
As a motto, I live by the scriptural com- mand in Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and love mercy and to walk humbly with God.”
Q: How does truth, justice, impartiality and liberty factor into the legal process?
The concept of truth, justice, impartially and liberty are all inextricably entwined in the legal process. There can be no true liberty without an unswerving com- mitment to do justice. To do justice we must have an impartial adjudication wherein the search for truth is a primary
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