Virginia House panel welcomes first openly gay judge

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Republican-ruled legislative panel that vets judicial candidates was deferential and even supportive of a reappointment bid by Virginia’s first openly gay judge who was rejected by the full House a year ago.

Members of a joint House and Senate subcommittee questioned Richmond General District Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland for nearly 40 minutes Monday, where eight others faced the panel for only a fraction of that time.