On October 17, 2014, the Virginia legal community was surprised to learn of the death of former Loudoun County General District Judge Julia Cannon. Judge Cannon served on the bench in Loudoun from the early 1990s until her retirement in 2011. Judge Cannon had graduated from the University of Virginia Law School.
The lawyers of The Gordon Law Firm, Alex Gordon and Carlos Wall, had appeared in her Loudoun courtroom more than 100 times during their career representing clients accused of misdemeanors such as Possession of Marijuana, Reckless Driving, and DUI.
Loudoun Times reporter Trevor Baratko spoke to Attorney General Mark Herring, who is from Loudoun County. “Judge Cannon was a wonderful person and a great judge,” Mark Herring said. “Loudoun was fortunate to have her. She was well-respected by those who entered her court room and well-liked by those who knew her outside of it.”
Leesburg-based attorney John Flannery also said in an interview with Baratko that “Cannon was an exceptional lawyer and a fair no-nonsense judge who did her homework and came to court ready to discuss what needed to be done — and to get it done promptly,” Flannery said. “Julia was active in the community and popular on and off the bench. It’s a shocking and unpleasant surprise that we’ve lost her.”
Alex Gordon had appeared before her in court when she served as a substitute judge just weeks before she succumbed to her battle with cancer. “As usually, she greeted me with a smile on her face and treated my client kindly and with respect.” Gordon said. “She will be missed for her fairness and good humor.”
We always hope that judges like Judge Cannon get approved by the Virginia state legislature to the bench. Her respect for professionalism, understanding or reasonable doubt, and her positive demeanor to all lawyers and litigants should be an example to others. We were fortunate to have the privilege of practicing before her.
Parts of the article was published in the LoudounTimes.com by Trevor Baratko at https://www.loudountimes.com/news/updated-judge-julia-cannon-dies/article_708dc1a8-d4a8-528e-bf2d-c03394ddccdc.html