Virginia Supreme Court Justice Leroy Hassell, the state’s first African American chief justice and a member of the court since 1989, has died. He was 55.
The court released a brief statement Wednesday morning on the news. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time,” it reads.
Hassell, a University of Virginia and Harvard Law graduate, served as Chief Justice from Feb. 1, 2003 to Jan. 31, 2011.
