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2014 SPECIAL SESSION I


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5156
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Joseph M. Clarke II.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, September 18, 2014
Agreed to by the Senate, September 18, 2014

 

WHEREAS, the Honorable Joseph M. Clarke II, a deeply respected former chief judge of the Roanoke County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of the 23rd Judicial District of Virginia, died on July 18, 2014; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Clarke earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Richmond, then became a prosecutor in Roanoke in 1979; and

WHEREAS, a scholarly and detail-oriented attorney, Joseph Clarke began collecting and organizing opinions from the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia on criminal and traffic law cases dating back to 1940; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Clarke’s project evolved into the Virginia Criminal Law Case Finder, a multivolume collection of summaries that was first published in 1987 and remains a useful resource for the legal community; and

WHEREAS, in 1988, Joseph Clarke was appointed as judge of the Roanoke County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of the 23rd Judicial District of Virginia; over the course of his 26-year career, he served as chief judge several times and presided with great fairness and wisdom; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Clarke offered his time and expertise to the Best Practice Court Initiative, which uses training sessions and local activities to help ensure that Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts in the Commonwealth uphold the highest standards; and

WHEREAS, a man of great integrity, Joseph Clarke was a compassionate advocate for local children and families; he served Roanoke County and the Commonwealth with dedication and distinction; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Clarke will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his wife of 33 years, Vickie; children, Sarah and John, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable Joseph M. Clarke II, a retired chief judge in Roanoke County and a true gentleman; 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 Joseph M. Clarke II as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.