Judge Recounts Her Past

by Tara St. Angelo
Business Editor

Judge Eileen A. Olds has been told that she does not look like a judge. As she entered room 133 in her stylish black dress, carrying her Christian Dior purse and sporting chunky black pearls, I thought she looked more like the fashion editor of Elle than a long-time judge. Judge Olds has been changing people's perceptions of the judiciary every day of the twelve years she has served on Chesapeake's Juvenile and Domestic Relations court.

On Oct. 24, Judge Olds spoke to students about what it is like to be a black woman on the court. Judge Olds has been ahead of her time for many years. She began attending the University of Virginia just four years after it began admitting women; she was one of six African-American students in her law school class; she was the first female judge in Chesapeake, as well as the first black judge; and she was recently elected as the fourth woman president of the American Judges Association.

Although things have changed in the courts when it comes to the perceptions of women and minorities, Judge Olds admits that the experience is still unique for women and minorities when it comes to the approach to the law. She pointed out that there are 425 judges in the district and circuit courts in Virginia and only eighty are women. Fewer than ten of these women serve in courts of record, and most sit in juvenile courts. She also added that many of her colleagues feel as though these are the more "touchy-feely courts" and are better suited to women.

Judge Olds says that many people perceive the juvenile court as "kiddie court," but there are serious issues. Judge Olds has more criminal cases than status offenses go through her court currently. Since there is no true family court in Virginia, Judge Olds sees all the cases dealing with family members. She noted that the most difficult cases in terms of emotional investment are those involving domestic relations that intersect with the maltreatment of children. Judge Olds's main goal in these cases is to keep a functioning family unit intact for the welfare of the child.

Judge Olds's final piece of wisdom was that future lawyers, judges, and politicians must maintain a stable and intact judiciary and preserve its independence. She advised that judges in general need to be able to make decision that they know are in the best interest of the litigants without fear of repercussions. Finally, she noted that judges have an obligation to provide as much legal education as possible to the public.

These are my thoughts on this story

1. Long time judge my ass, yes she has been on the bench for a decade however that doesn't mean she should be there.
   
2. In a society where we want to the end race tides, it would seem that everyone who writes about her is always making sure to point out that she is black, "the first black female judge" I'm sure there was others before her. The first black female president of the AJA. It seem that she has an is still using her race to her own advantage.
   
3. At least she as admitted the JDR courts are not of records so in fact they can do as they please. Hiding behind closed doors these judges and she often violate civil rights of these who stand before them. Making it hard to file complaints against judges when there are no records or witness to these crimes.
   
4. She admits that women should be in these courts, if that the case then that could explain why men and fathers don't stand a chance in these courts.
   
5. Now she claims her main goal is keep a functioning family unit, that the biggest damn lie she could every tell, since she hardly ever pays attention to case before her, then I guess family unit in her mind is mommy and kids, father are money machines and don't count.
   
6. She is afraid of repercussion, to use the term best interest of the litigants, damn these judge are protected from repercussion since there are no records are their wrong doing and total violation of law to can't be exposed to the public since all hearing in her court are close to the public. That means no court watchers are there to record her actions. So what type of repercussions are she talking about and what are the ones she is afraid of.

What type of Role model?

The Honorable Eileen
Olds JD '82 received the prestigious Thurgood Marshall Award from the Judicial Council of the National Bar Association during the NBA's Annual Convention on August 1, 2007.  The Award is given in recognition for Judge Olds' extraordinary commitment and personal contributions to the advancements of civil rights and for being a role model for members of the bench and bar.  Earlier in the year, Judge Olds also was awarded the Distinguished Jurist Award from the National Association of Women Judges.

Who the hell is she a role model for. To other judges who also denied fathers equal time with their kids? Who let mothers lie in court, and not hold mother to the same standards and she holds fathers. I doubt that she even know what civil rights are since she violates them every day in her own court room. This is the same judge who has allow a woman to use different names and ssn on legal documents in her court. Who told her that it was ok to do so.

So I guess in her court Identity theft is ok in her court just as long you are a female/mother.

Olds to assisted the NCSC

Judges Eileen Olds, Toni Higginbotham and John Mutter assisted the NCSC in preparing a response to a request for comments on legislation before the United States Congress. The bills on which AJA members were asked to comment and advise were the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Strengthening Abuse and Neglect Courts Act of 1998.

Judges Jay Dilworth, Eileen Olds, Bonnie Sudderth, Mike McAdam and Terry Elliott took part in a national conference on the Trial Court Performance Standards sponsored by the NCSC and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. After that conference, those judges and other AJA members developed a recommendation that led to the AJAs endorsement of the Trial Court Performance Standards at the September 1998 national meeting.

A commission of judges and court support personnel developed the Trial Court Performance Standards, which consist of twenty- two standards for trial court performance and substantive commentary on the rationale for each standard; they articulate the guiding principles by which trial courts fulfill their purposes and carry out their responsibilities. The ultimate aim of the standards and AJAs endorsement of them is to provide a systematic assessment of the trial court as an organization that serves a public need and to use the data to make courts as responsive and effective as possible.

There you go, put a bias judge on a panel where their actions will affect family and see what you get. Court sanctioned bias against fathers. I don't know about the other judges, I can only hope they have been on the bench longer then Olds and I hope they are not bias against fathers.

DNA Denied in murder case in Chesapeake, VA

Chesapeake

James Boughton Jr.'s defense attorney said he is developing "credible evidence " that points to another person as the gunman who shot two Mormon missionaries in Deep Creek in January 2006.

Another person was with Boughton the night a missionary was killed and another was wounded, but that person was ruled out by police as the shooter.

Without a witness to positively identify the shooter, DNA evidence will play a crucial role in the case, said Andrew Sacks, Boughton's defense attorney.

Sacks and Boughton were in Chesapeake Circuit Court on Friday, asking for a DNA expert to be appointed for the defense. Judge Randy Smith denied the request.

Boughton is expected to stand trial Jan. 22 on charges of first-degree murder, malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding and three firearm charges. The trial, delayed twice primarily due to a change in defense attorneys, is expected to last about nine days.

Morgan W. Young, 21, of Bountiful, Utah, and Joshua Heidbrink, 19, of Greeley, Colo., were walking door-to-door on Elkhart Street in Chesapeake when they were shot. Young was killed.

Sacks argued that no one identified Boughton as the shooter. Boughton, who turns 21 this month, never confessed.

"This is a case basically built on circumstantial evidence alone …'' Sacks said in asking for DNA assistance. "If you remove the DNA from this case, I'm not sure you could present it to a jury."

Commonwealth's Attorney Nancy Parr and Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney D.J. Hansen opposed the defense request. Sacks said he would renew the motion for DNA help for Boughton at a later date.

"His guilt or innocence may hinge on that evidence," he said.

According to testimony during a preliminary hearing last year, on the night of the shootings, an unrelated confrontation was unfolding on Elkhart Street away from Heidbrink and Young. The two missionaries were talking to a man on the street.

Minutes later they heard a gunshot. They looked down the street toward the noise and saw a man holding a gun . The gunman, whose head was covered by a dark hoodie, ran toward them.

Young and Heidbrink raised their hands and told the gunman, "We didn't see anything."

Both men were shot; the gunman fled.

I wonder why this sorry ass judge denied the request, however if this defendant was a young white male the judge would have approve this request. I can only hope his lawyer appeal this ruling. I can say that all the judges in Chesapeake should be kick to the curb. Most are completely bias against blacks and in JDR court against fathers.