The Hispanic Bar Association of Virginia is opposing a Manassas lawyer nominated for a general district judgeship.
The HBA-VA says W.S. “Wally” Covington III – a Prince William County supervisor – has indicated a bias against immigrants, particularly Latinos.
The group has written to Del. Luke E. Torian, D-Dumfries, opposing Covington’s bid for the judgeship vacated by the retirement of Judge Peter W. Steketee this year.
HBA-VA president Manuel E. Leiva said the effort may be futile, since Torian is a Democrat and Covington reportedly has the support of Republican legislators in the area. Republicans control both houses of the legislature.
Leiva said his group was disappointed that seemingly better qualified candidates who interviewed with bar groups were passed over in favor of Covington. “I just think it’s a slap,” he said.
Immigration is a hot issue in Prince William County. The Latino population is between 20 and 21 percent, Leiva said. Government leaders have sought openly to limit the impact of a large immigrant population.
Covington stated he would make the county “an unwelcoming place for undocumented immigrants,” according to Leiva’s letter.
Covington has shown “disdain for a segment of Prince William County’s population,” Leiva wrote.
The HBA focused on Covington’s alleged support of an outspoken critic of immigration policies who was named to a county board in 2008.
Covington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Covington and 54 other judicial candidates are scheduled for interviews before the General Assembly courts committees Wednesday afternoon.
As with most other candidates, Covington is the only nominee for the seat in question.
So the chickens have come home to roost. One’s words and votes apparently do not fall on deaf ears. It seems that Mr. Covington might have some back-pedaling to do or at least some explaining to do. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t he initiate the original Illegal Immigration Resolution back in early 2007?
Should Covington’s words and deeds in Prince William County impact his appointment to a judgeship? I don’t know. I never thought there were real standards. I always thought it was more of a “what party do you belong to” qualification for those being appointed to judicial positions.
What is the HBA saying? Are they implying that he would come into the court room with a biased attitude towards Hispanics? Does a person’s status have any bearing on how they are treated in a court of law? Should it have an impact at the local level? Isn’t immigration a federal issue?
Is it normal in Virginia for judgeships to meet with opposition? Will those who vote to confirm Covington have explaining to do?
All of a sudden it seems that there are a bunch of questions on the table that have never come up before. Perhaps I just wasn ‘t paying attention. I am paying attention now!
I neither support or oppose Covington for the General District Court judicial appointment. However, this appears to be an unexpected hurdle none of us were expecting. The ferocity of the HBA and other Latino groups might impact future appointments of those who have virulently opposed immigration groups around Virginia. Those who vote to appoint Covington might also have some explaining to do come election time.
Once again, the old adage about “beware of unintended consequences” rises to the surface.
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I think it’s more of a case of what goes around comes around though I do not believe it was he who initiated the resolution in 2007. That whole thing started with Stirrup, Corey took it as his own and Wally jumped aboard because he is a good old boy, white, with little understanding of what other people encounter in the world. I don’t think Supervisor Covington is known for having a lot of compassion on any level (except perhaps for Rainbow Riding) and it’s catching up with him. I think he could do less damage as a judge so I wouldn’t mind his appointment being confirmed. On the other hand I can just see him up there though, on his high horse as a judge, thinking people should do better and help themselves more. It kind of makes me sick.
Covington is a bad choice because he doesn’t like Latinos and minorities. Get somebody else
Whatever happened to that rule of law thing?
Everyone arrested in PWC has a background check done. If someone is out of status, ICE gets called.
Wally was not the driving force behind the resolution, but he was the first to raise illegal immigration as an issue in Prince William County. Wally directed staff to research how much PWC was spending on services to illegals immigrants(schools and such). They came up with a number for him and he got the BOCS to approve sending an invoice to the Feds for that amount.
Corey saw that Wally was getting interviewed by Lou Dobbs on CNN (where Dobbs was at the time) and elsewhere, and you know the risk you run of standing between Corey and a camera. It just isn’t safe.
John Stirrup was approaching the issue through the resolution approach which he introduced in July 2007. Corey expropriated both from Covington and Stirrup, even though Stirrup remained active in advocating for the resolution.
Corey got so much media attention from all of this that many people came to believe that Corey started the whole illegal immigration debate in PWC. He didn’t. He just jumped in where he saw an opportunity. He approached the media and they approached him. Corey and bvbl.net appeared to be joined at the hip.
Wally is far less aggressive than Corey. When Wally saw the illegal immigration debate spinning out of control, he decided against getting the kind of headlines Corey was getting. He has always wanted to be a judge and soon back then thinking he wanted to avoid things like what the Hispanic Bar Association is now actually doing.
Once he saw the out of control spin, Wally attempted to view things from both sides. I don’t recall him ever making the statement attributed to him nor do I know who he opposed in the HBA-VA quote.
Welcome Memory Jogger. You sure have a better memory than I do. Perhaps you were paying closer attention.
I didn’t start blogging until mid June of 2007. Not sure I even knew what a blog was.
I have a different memory. I remember meeting a woman one day in the Gainesville District Supervisor’s office who said her complaints to Stirrup about overcrowding in her neighborhood got him to come down and take a look. He was horrified with what he saw and immediately got the county involved which ultimately led to the illegal immigrant crackdown. I remember it all starting off as a neighborhood issue and wishing it had stayed one.
Sure was a lot if hoopla about nuthin’
Well, calmer heads prevailed and didn’t dangle us out there for a lawsuit.
@Moon-howler
And then, based on recent reports, ICE lets them go.
ICE doesn’t let anyone go. ICE does not hold people in jail for minor crimes. That person still faces a deportation hearing.
That is nothing new. That’s the way its always been except for cases of serious crime like rape, murder, armed robbery, etc.
Driving violations, yes but you still have a hearing if you are in the country undocumented.
If you show up for that hearing.