Judge Parker retires after 18 years on the bench
‘I’m going to miss Rappahannock’
Judge Jeffrey W. Parker sat on the bench of the Rappahannock County Circuit Court for the final time last Friday. He retires effective Nov. 1.
In his 18 years on the 20th Circuit, adjudicating besides Rappahannock cases in Fauquier and Loudoun counties, Parker has presided over some of the county’s highest profile and most controversial cases. Among them are several pending lawsuits brought against county officials still moving through the courts.
In a phone interview on Tuesday, Parker discussed his time in Rappahannock.
“I just feel very grateful to the individuals that made my job as pleasant as it was while I had the privilege to serve,” he said. “The clerks, the deputies, the attorneys, the commonwealth’s attorneys, they all made it an enjoyable journey here while I tried to do the job.
“It was a real honor. The great thing about Rappahannock is you’ve got this atmosphere of courtesy, at least in the courtroom. Certainly there’s an atmosphere of courtesy not only towards the attorneys but to the court and that’s positive. The cordiality among attorneys really makes the administration of law there enjoyable.”
At the same time, he acknowledged some underlying tensions.
“I picked up on [an undercurrent of hostility],” Parker said. “I go online and read the paper. I won’t delve into specifics, but fortunately, as [the hostility] applies to me and my encounters, they’ve been very few and far between.”
Is he eager for retirement?
“I’m going to look forward to it with a positive attitude,” Parker said. “I’ve got mixed feelings about moving into retirement, a little trepidation. You know, the fear of the unknown. Not working every day is something very strange to me. I think I’ll find some things to do, but I’ll have to sit down and contemplate my situation and organize my priorities. And find out where I want to focus myself. “
The first thing on the agenda is pending spinal fusion surgery on his lower lumbar in November.
“Which I am not looking forward to,” he added. “I’ve had a lot of back issues and orthopedic issues in the last [several] years.”
He admitted that the back problem has been a preoccupation keeping him from being more active. Over the years he’s played golf and sailed. He still has a sailboat. At one point he contemplated building a shed to house and work on old cars.
“But I don’t feel as enthusiastic as I once was about climbing under a car,” he said. “I’ll find another activity — maybe power boating. I just have to turn a switch. I don’t intend just to sit around.”
According to Virginia Supreme Court rules, a retired judge is eligible to be a substitute judge after three months.
Not so coincidentally, those three months are approximately around the time the first Marion Bragg v the Board of Supervisors case (known locally as Bragg 1) goes to trial. Attorneys for both sides agreed earlier this year to schedule the trial when Parker would be available to hear the complicated case.
When asked if he would come back to hear Bragg 1, which was filed in 2016, Parker laughed and hedged a bit.
“There’s a reasonable chance that that will happen,” he said. “I have definitely not ruled it out. I likely will. A lot of it is going to come down to my mind set at the time, how I feel about returning and how much I really want to do after I am eligible.”
In closing, he said, “I’m going to miss Rappahannock.”