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2004 SESSION
048069302WHEREAS, Judge Ernest Wade Ballou, for 18 years a widely respected Roanoke Valley Circuit Court judge, died on January 6, 2004; and
WHEREAS, a native of Roanoke, Ernest Ballou graduated from Jefferson High School in 1939, attended Roanoke College and Emory & Henry College, and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1949; and
WHEREAS, Ernest Ballou served as a Naval officer aboard a destroyer escort during World War II, was recalled to active duty in Korea, and retired from the Naval Reserve in 1966 with the rank of commander; and
WHEREAS, Ernest Ballou practiced law in Roanoke until 1969, when Governor Mills Godwin appointed him Judge of the Hustings Court, which became part of the 23rd Judicial Circuit; and
WHEREAS, Judge Ballou served on the bench until his retirement in 1987, earning the respect of area attorneys, who quickly learned Judge Ballou's "24-hour rule," which allowed the judge to be angry with a lawyer, or vice-versa, but only for 24 hours; and
WHEREAS, Judge Ballou's rule, along with his reputation for fairness and hard work, was instrumental in promoting professionalism among the members of the Roanoke Bar; and
WHEREAS, Judge Ballou took the lead in negotiating with Roanoke civic authorities to replace the city's aging courthouse and was instrumental in establishing a program to select jurors at random, ensuring the representation of minority groups on Roanoke juries; and
WHEREAS, Judge Ballou was one of the original members of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission, established to investigate and discipline judges for improper conduct; and
WHEREAS, throughout his distinguished career, Judge Ballou was known for his honesty and fairness, his devotion to his family and his community, his willingness to act as mentor to young lawyers, and his principled stands on often unpopular issues; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly note with great sadness the loss of an outstanding Virginian, Judge Ernest Wade Ballou; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Judge Ernest Wade Ballou as an expression of the high regard in which his memory is held by the members of the General Assembly.