Alright, take a look to your left-you’re facing the home turf of the Supreme Court of Virginia. This is where the biggest courtroom drama in the Commonwealth gets written, argued, and occasionally, rewritten on appeal. And trust me, nobody’s doing Law and Order with powdered wigs here-though back in the day, fashion was… a little more colonial.
Here’s the scoop: the roots of Virginia’s highest court start way, way back-think muskets and jamestown, not smart phones and electric scooters. When the English planted their flag here in 1607, they also brought their love of law and tradition. By 1623, there was already an appellate court called the Quarter Court. Four terms a year, mostly spent arguing which neighbor owed the other a goose or two, and perhaps a bushel of tobacco-worth around a small fortune at the time, since tobacco was king. In today’s money, a bushel could be about $200, just for a sense of scale.
When the Revolutionary War ended, everything changed. In 1779, Virginia established what became the model for the United States Supreme Court-yep, you’re looking at the judicial blueprint for the entire country. The early justices were hand-picked for their social standing, their property, and sometimes, their proximity to Williamsburg. Legal degrees? Optional. A sense of decorum? Mandatory.
One of the first presidents of this court was Edmund Pendleton-a Founding Father who also had a knack for keeping the court running like a well-oiled machine. George Wythe, a mentor to Thomas Jefferson and a Declaration of Independence signer, also sat here. Oh, and John Marshall-the famous Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court-his legal fingerprints are all over Virginia’s courtrooms too.
In the early days, the court had a “no written opinions” rule. Seems odd now, but the idea was to show unity and save a few quills. Thomas Jefferson, never one to play along quietly, started writing down decisions anyway-which is probably the most Jefferson thing ever.
Over time, Virginia’s court system added checks, balances, and eventually, twelve-year terms for justices. Judges are elected by the General Assembly, and if you make it through, you’re in for a ride: reviewing shrimp-sized technicalities up to the legal whales-cases about the death penalty, major constitutional battles, and social revolutions, like the landmark Loving v. Virginia case that struck down bans on interracial marriage.
The court’s daily routine? Far less glamorous than Hollywood would have you imagine. There’s a lot of paperwork, oral arguments sliced down to fifteen minutes, and the ever-mysterious assignment of who writes which opinions-done with slips of paper in a hat. Not quite bingo, but the stakes are certainly higher.
This building isn’t just about today’s justice-it’s a living archive of the Commonwealth’s legal wranglings and bold decisions. Even the court’s seal, with a wise lady holding scales while petting...yes, an ostrich, is a nod to justice both ancient and slightly quirky. Ostrich feathers meant justice in ancient Egypt, in case you suddenly feel like you’re in a Dan Brown novel.
Alright, ready for our next chapter? When you’re set, St. Peter’s Pro-Cathedral is just a 2-minute walk northeast.
