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2020 SESSION

20107699D
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 223
Offered March 2, 2020
Celebrating the life of the Honorable Albert Vickers Bryan, Jr.
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Patrons-- Ebbin, Deeds and McClellan; Delegates: Hope, Levine and Sickles
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WHEREAS, the Honorable Albert Vickers Bryan, Jr., a senior judge and former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia who made many contributions to jurisprudence over the course of his long career, died on August 27, 2019; and

WHEREAS, a native of Alexandria, Albert Bryan attended George Washington High School and Virginia Military Institute; he served his country as a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve before graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law; and

WHEREAS, Albert Bryan practiced law in Alexandria until he was appointed to the Fairfax Circuit Court, where he presided with great fairness and wisdom from 1962 to 1971; and

WHEREAS, Albert Bryan followed in the footsteps of his father as a federal judge when he was nominated by President Richard Nixon to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and subsequently confirmed by the United States Senate in 1971; and

WHEREAS, known for his efficiency and professionalism, Albert Bryan was selected as chief judge in 1985; he helped the Eastern District Court of Virginia earn national renown as the “rocket docket” for the speed with which it brought civil and criminal cases to trial, and the court bears many hallmarks of his influential leadership to this day; and

WHEREAS, among his many high-profile cases, Albert Bryan oversaw the trial of former presidential candidate Lyndon LaRouche and issued important decisions related to women’s health care under Medicaid and discriminatory hiring practices against African Americans and women; and

WHEREAS, Albert Bryan’s ruling in Harvey v. Horan led to the passage of the Innocence Protection Act, which ensures that convicted offenders have an opportunity to request DNA testing on evidence in the government’s possession; and

WHEREAS, Albert Bryan became a senior judge of the Eastern District Court of Virginia in 1991 and served in that capacity until the time of his passing; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Marilyn, and a son, Albert III, Albert Bryan will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Marie, John, and Vickers, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of the Honorable Albert Vickers Bryan, Jr., a respected senior judge and former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of the Honorable Albert Vickers Bryan, Jr., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.