Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-09-13
JUDGE keith
is UNDECIDED
President of Supreme Court
May Not Offer For
Reelection
NEW PENSION BILL
NEW PENSION BILL
Judge Sims, of Louisa, Mentioned as
Probable Candidate in event OIL
Keith's Retirement.

Keith, president of the Supreme CourE
of Appeals of Virginia has not yet
determined whether he will be a Can
didate for reelection at the coming
session of the General Assembly. His
terms ends February /, 1916, and the
! election for the new twelvc-year term
will be at the hands of the General
Assembly, which convenes In January
At his home in Warrenton on Sat
urday Judge Keith declined to express
himself as to whether or not he will
he a candidate for reelection, but in
dicated that he would make definite
announcement rs soon as his mind is
made mp. He is scventy-siX years Of
age and has served on the Supreme
Bench for twenty years.
There is said to be a distinct m"v"-
mcnt on foot TO secure the repeal OF
the act which provides that Judges ol
The Supreme Bench who have served
for Il period Of twelve consecutive
wears. and who attained the age of
seventy years, shall he allowed I" re-
lire on an annuity OF $4,000 a year.
Judge John A.. Buchanan retired at
the end Of his term last year. under
this provision. after II notable career
on the bench. He was succeeded by
Jndgc Joseph l.. Nelly, Of bristol.
elected by the General Assembly oL
1914.
The objection to the statutes IS
mainly on the ground that it IS the
entering wedge for general clVi)
pension system which would prove
heavy burden for the State. There Is
said to he. no more reason for rct'r-
ing with pension Supreme Court Judg-
cy who receive $4,000 per annun than
there is for granting pensions 10 CIR
cult Court Judges whose compensation
is much less than that figure.
The other members OF the court az"
not yet eligible to take advantage ol
the retirement act, even If they WISH
cd to do so, rs they arc not yet sew
rnty wears Of age. Judge George NJ.
Harrison was born February n. 1877.
and is siyty-cight; Judge Stafford G.
Whittle was born December >. 1S49.
and is in his xty-sixth year, while
Judge R. II. CardwclI was born Aug
ust !, 1916, and is row lsiSty-nine
years old.
While elected ut large. unwrltten
| law and custom more or less obScr-
we'd provide for the representation Oh
the bench Of the five grand divisions
Of the State. Judge Keith is from Eau
,nrier. Judge .Cardwcll from Hanov-
or, Judge Kelly from Washington
County. Judge Harrison from Henry.
Complaint has hcen made that Tide
water is without representation,
Judge Cardwcll being its nearest resi-
dent Judge.
Prominently mentioned in connection
with the possible rtircment Of Judge
Keith at the end of his term is Judge
Frederick Wilmer Sims. Of Louisa
who was Il candidate before the seS-
sion of 1al1 at, the time Of the election
Of Judge Kelly In the event tha!
Judge Cardwcll should decide to re-
| tire OH reaching the age of seventy
report ut the Capitol has it that Judge
Jesse +. West will be Il candidate
Judge West was also in the race il
the contest Of 1914.
Should Judge Keith announce his
determination to retire. it is more
than probable that friends of othc
wcllknown lawyers and Judges in TIM
State would bring their names for
ward as candidates before the Gcncr
al Assembly meets in January.
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