The Jacksons’ Judicial Philosophy

The Jacksons, during their pioneering careers, have heard cases on almost every topic that can be brought to court.

With each one, they said, they have endeavored to bring a professionalism to the bench that reinforces the dignity of all participants, while keeping the best interests of their community in mind.

Considering Others’ Time

Judge Raymond Jackson said a judge first demonstrates respect by being prepared.

“The Eastern District of Virginia has a reputation for being very quick and ef­ficient in disposing of litigation,” he said. “It is often called the ‘rocket docket.’ As a judge, I try to make sure I am prepared when I walk into the courtroom, and that I do not waste the litigants’ time in ad­dressing issues.”

His caseload is a mix of high-stakes civil and criminal cases, driven in part by the large number of federal employers in the district and the litigation they inevitably generate.

He may hear a homicide case one day, a patent infringe­ment case the next.

The judge is also well-known on the bench for being an outspoken proponent of sentencing reform whose interpreta­tion of federal sentencing guidelines in Kimbrough v. United States was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007. The decision affirmed judicial discretion in sentencing the posses­sion, distribution and manufacture of crack cocaine — which carried heavier prison time compared to similar powder cocaine offenses.

Jackson played Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus on a boom box in his office when he received the news of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“There’s a dearth, still, of African-American lawyers,” he said. “I think it’s always important to give back, to reach back, and extend a hand to bring someone else along.”

Hearing Others’ Voices

Judge Gwendolyn Jackson estimates she heard about a mil­lion cases — literally — before giving up full-time status on the bench in 2015 after 24 years.

While the matters may be deemed less serious by statute than those in federal court, they are no less important to the people who come seeking justice, she said.

Jackson served a four-year stint as chief judge, having been voted to the position twice by her peers. During that period, she helped implement a segmented docket by meeting with representatives of the Norfolk Police Department, Virginia State Police administrators and the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Virginia Supreme Court, in order to set times when specific types of cases would be heard in the district court. These specific assignments helped to prevent litigants from regularly being summoned to court at 9 a.m., only to not have their cases heard until 2 p.m. or later.

The change ultimately meant the public could have their day in court without spending their whole day there.

Before being appointed to the bench by the Virginia General Assembly, Jackson was an attorney for 18 years in several capacities, culminating with her becoming the only female partner in the Norfolk law firm Sams, Shelton, Anderson and Jackson. She represented clients in cases involving employ­ment and business law, personal injury litigation, real estate and other concerns.

She began her career with the civil rights law firm Hill, Tucker & Marsh, in Richmond, Virginia, handling employment discrimination cases and other matters of general practice.

“One day, one of the partners said to me, ‘Gwen, you should go to state court and learn how to try a traffic case.’ So I went to the Richmond Traffic Court and tried that traffic case. Who would have thought that 18 years later that my first assign­ment as a judge would be in traffic court?”

Like her husband, Jackson has had a career-long com­mitment to community service. She served for a decade on the Vocational Education Advisory Council of the Norfolk School Board. She served three terms on the board of the City of Norfolk Employee’s Retirement System, which managed a $300 million retirement fund, and was chair for a period. She served as the first Area II director of the Hampton Roads NAACP. In 1987, she received the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Pro Bono Award.

Jackson also has taught a young adult Sunday school class for more than 20 years, and encouraged young people in and out of court to read and participate in their community.

She earned her undergraduate degree in English from Hampton University, and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Silhouettes of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and The Woman’s Club of Norfolk.

Bringing Work Home

Given that judges are known to have the final say, has living in a two-judge household ever been — trying?

Not at all, they said. Their differing venues, and, by default, dissimilar cases, have made it easy to avoid philosophical disputes. Besides, at home, family comes first.

“We have always basically had our focus on raising our children and being involved in their daily activities,” Raymond Jackson said.

“While the children were growing up, we planned family dinner every night,” Gwendolyn Jackson said. “We did not discuss legal cases, but current events and life challenges.”

Though work wasn’t discussed, over the years they brought home a lot of it. So much so that their three children said they would never be lawyers.

The respect their parents exhibited for the legal process must have worn off, however. Two of their now-adult children are attorneys, while one is a member of the clergy.