Old Dominion News

Republican gubernatorial candidate Kirk Cox says Democrats are attempting to expand the appellate court just to pad the court with more Democrats.

“Democrats trying to add 6 new Judges to the Virginia Court of Appeals is a blatant attempt to stack the currently reasonable Court with liberal Judges,” Cox tweeted. “Expanding the Court by over 50% for political gain is not what Virginians want.”

Cox added that new judges' selection shouldn't be a one-day event and should be a non-partisan selection.

The arguments which took place earlier were with Democrats who are saying the additional judges are necessary to expand the intermediate court’s jurisdiction and give criminal defendants the civil right of appeal. Every state in the country now provides that.

House Majority Leader Charniele Herring who introduced a bill to add four new judges, says the issue is being too politicized.

"I’m sorry they are making this a political issue. This is about access for everybody to our judicial system,” Herring said as reported by the Associated Press.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced his support for an expansion proposing a $5.1 million budget for the new judges. Democratic Sen. John Edwards is also sponsoring a bill to add six new judges. Other entities supporting include the Virginia Bar Association, the Judicial Council of Virginia, a group of judges, lawyers and state lawmakers

Republicans argue that Democrats are out to push a liberal agenda. An attempt to change the political makeup of the court.

"What they want to do is add very left-wing, progressive, liberal justices on what is currently a very reasonable Court of Appeals that does a very good job. This is court-packing,” said Del. Jason Miyares, the Associated Press reports. Miyares is a Republican and former prosecutor running for attorney general.

The debate has been ongoing since the court was formed in the '80s, reports say.