Virginia is the only state in the country that does not guarantee a right to appeal, allowing circuit court judges to make decisions with little oversight or scrutiny. Critics have been calling for reform ever since the Court of Appeals was first created in 1985. The Supreme Court of Virginia recommended an appeal of right as a "long term goal" in 2018. Now, Gov. Ralph Northam says he wants lawmakers to add four judges and support staff "to ensure the court can hear more appeals cases in a timely manner under an increasing workload."
"The Supreme Court barely takes any cases, so the circuit courts are effectively the court of last resort," said Sen. Scott Surovell (D-36), who will be working in the Senate Judiciary Committee on the issue. "That gives circuit court judges a tremendous amount of power because their decisions are rarely reviewed."