The Virginia Court of Appeals made its way to Buckingham this month. Pictured here are, from left, Judge Kimberly White, Judge Mary Grace O’Brien and Judge Junius Fulton.

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It has been a minute since the court visited Buckingham County. Now we’re not talking about the Circuit Court, which operates on a regular basis here. In a landmark occasion for Buckingham County’s legal community, a three-judge panel from the Virginia Court of Appeals convened locally for a two-day session June 10 and 11, marking an event nearly a decade in the making. 

A long-anticipated visit 

Thanks to the long-standing efforts of Hon. Donald Carl Blessing, Presiding and Chief Judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit, and his longtime colleague and friend Judge Kimberly S. White– now a sitting judge on the Court of Appeals– the panel held proceedings at Buckingham’s courthouse. The visit marked the first time the appellate court has sat in the county, drawing interest from attorneys and officials across the region. 

“It’s something Judge White and I have talked about for six to eight years,” said Judge Blessing. “With her appointment to the Court of Appeal, we finally had an inside voice to help make it happen.” 

Judges for the Virginia Court of Appeals

Joining Judge White on the panel were Judge Mary Grace O’Brien and Judge Junius P. Fulton III. The court’s presence in Buckingham was a major event in the local legal calendar. Judge Blessing noted that several attorneys even rescheduled their own cases to attend the session– one indication of how significant the visit was to the legal community of Buckingham and neighbors of the county. 

Judge Blessing also shared that one of the visiting judges, Judge Fulton III, is expected to ascend to the Supreme Court of Virginia, a point of pride for the Southside. “To have a future Supreme Court Justice here in Buckingham is a rare and special thing,” he said. 

Community outside the courtroom

But the event wasn’t just robes and rulings. Harlan Horton, President of the Prince Edward County Bar Association and former Commonwealth Attorney, took the lead in organizing the social side supporting the visit. He hosted a well-attended cocktail party at his home for the visiting judges, providing an open welcome and opportunity for local legal professionals to connect with the panel

“Harlan really deserves credit for pulling the social side of this together,” Judge Blessing emphasized. “One thing people don’t really think about are the little opportunities judges get the chance to join with other judges or lawyers. And Harlan was able to offer that interaction outside the courtroom.” 

Virginia Court of Appeals gets support 

The regional bar group, of which Horton is an active member, began as an informal monthly breakfast gathering but has since grown into a civic-minded organization. It now endorses judicial appointees, participates in Law Day, supports school and senior outreach, and rings bells for the Salvation Army during the holidays. 

Judge Blessing also thanked the Buckingham Board of Supervisors for supporting the effort. “It brought real visibility and prestige to Buckingham,” he said. “And hopefully not the last.”