User:Tparker393/Jeffrey W. Parker

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Jeffrey W. Parker is the Circuit Court Judge for Fauquier County, Virginia. Before becoming a judge, Parker was an attorney and politician who actively supported numerous Republican civic leaders who went on to high state and national office.

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[edit] Biography

Parker graduated college from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a degree in business administration and then earned a law degree at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. In the early 1980s, he went into private practice with fellow attorneys Robert Niles and Richard Dulaney. He was also a business partner with George Felix Allen, who was elected Governor in 1994, U.S. Senator in 2000, and is a possible candidate in the 2008 Presidential election.

Parker became active in politics, at one time serving on the local school board, as well as working for the campaigns of several important Republican candidates, including successful gubernatorial candidate Jim Gilmore. He also served as Town Attorney for Remington, Virginia[1]. Parker played a leading role in the campaign to win Virginia's 13 electoral votes to George W. Bush in 2000.

Parker's nomination to the Judgeship was supported by maverick Republican state Senator and 2005 gubernatorial candidate Russ Potts and opposed by mercurial Republican Delegate from Fauquier and 2001 candidate for Lieutenant Governor Jay Katzen. The Virginia General Assembly appointed Parker to the 20th Judicial Circuit for an 8-year term, choosing him over two competing nominees after an intense vetting process[2].

Parker has four children (Thomas, Samuel, Benjamin & Kathrine) and currently lives in Sumerduck, Virginia. His wife Lawrie Parker, a Michigan native and fellow U of M alumus, is head of the local Piedmont Dispute Resolution Center in Warrenton, Virginia. At college she earned a degree in Journalism. Their eldest son, Tommy Parker, works as a music therapist at Piedmont Geriatric Hospital.



[edit] Court cases

As Fauquier's Circuit Court Judge, Parker tries the county's felony cases, as well as appellate cases from Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and General District Court. He also hears chancery cases (such as divorces) and law cases that involve large sums of money, sometimes in the millions of dollars. Because Circuit Court is a court of record, Parker's judgments set legal precedents that are binding in other cases.

[edit] Commonwealth v. Meyers

In the case of Commonwealth of Virginia v. Debra Myers, Parker granted the Motion to Suppress, argued by defense counsel Matthew Kensky of MacDowell & Associates, PC, and the judge ruled that a suspect who was requested by an officer to enter his police car for questioning on the matter of a stolen dog kennel had been placed in custody for Miranda purposes. This was in contrast to the Commonwealth's characterization of the situation as one in which an officer merely "asked" the suspect to enter the car. The decision had implications for the legality of similar interrogations:

In the case at Bar, it is clear that the officer removed the Defendant from her familiar surroundings, ie., the barn, to the detective's police vehicle. The Court finds that the "request" to go into the vehicle was in the nature of a command. There could have been no other reason for this request except to place the officer in a greater degree of control. While only one officer was present, he was present in a very confined space. The Defendant was not physically restrained, but the questioning - the second time that day - went on for an extended period. She clearly was the focus of the investigation and threatened with prosecution. She was summoned by the Detective in a stern and agitated manner. No evidence was presented as to her mental condition. She did concede that she had been arrested on other occasions, but it was not clear whether she had been advised of her rights previously. No evidence was presented to suggest she was told that she could leave or that the questioning was otherwise non-threatening.

The Court of Appeals of Virginia upheld Parker's decision, finding that the officer's behavior "rose to the level where it was likely to 'compe[l]' a reasonable person 'to be a witness against himself' in violation of the protection afforded by the Fifth Amendment"[3].

[edit] Murder trial of Chris Jones

Parker also presided over the high-profile murder trial of Chris Jones, who was accused of bludgeoning his girlfriend to death to avoid paying $300 monthly child support. The prosecution presented seemingly overwhelming evidence, consisting of testimony by 14 witnesses, semen found in the victim's vagina, and a "dying declaration" of the victim allegedly implicating Jones. In a vigorous defense reminiscent of the 1957 film 12 Angry Men, Jones' attorneys methodically picked apart the prosecution's evidence. The defense called forensic scientists to the stand who testified that sperm cells can remain viable in the vagina for several days. The defense also questioned the ability of the victim to "understand and comprehend" what the detective was saying when he said to squeeze the medic's hand if "Chris did this to you." The defense noted that the detective only said "Chris," instead of "Chris Jones." The defense also established an alibi, presenting evidence that Jones was at home with his grandparents during the time of the murder. They called witnesses who testified that the Joneses had two dogs that barked whenever anyone came and went, and that none of the neighbors heard the dogs barking.

Parker decided that it would be unfair to send the case to the jury, ruling, "There is too much left to conjecture and speculation. This court has no choice . . . but to acquit Mr. Jones." The ruling was presented in a courtroom packed with spectators and widely reported in Virginia newspapers[4]. Some commentators applauded Parker for making the controversial decision himself, rather than leave it to the jury and risk a conviction not adequately supported by evidence. Others were not as pleased. After the trial, Warrenton town attorney James "Jim" Fisher cited the Chris Jones case as the key factor in his decision to run against Commonwealth's Attorney Jonathan Lynn, according to the Fauquier Citizen. The newspaper reported that in the wake of the trial, Fisher said it was his "duty" to seek the position[5]:

Mr. Fisher said people began calling him to complain about the case. He received e-mails. People stopped him on the street. They criticized the judge and the police. But Mr. Fisher said he was most concerned with the disapproval of how the prosecutor’s office handled the case. People said it "was time for a change," Mr. Fisher said.

[edit] References

Category:American judges

Links of Interest on Judge Jeffrey W. Parker & Family Law in the United States.

In the US, family law is different in each state, and there are a large number of support groups, lobbying organisations and protest groups all over the country.