'I sure enjoyed my time here:' Amherst Circuit Judge Garrett to retire

Garrett, who was in private practice from 1984 to 2002 and served as an assistant prosecutor in Amherst for two-and-a-half years, became Juvenile and Domestic Relations judge in Amherst in 2005 where he served for a decade. In July 2015, he succeeded his mentor, retired Judge Mike Gamble, whose Amherst firm he joined when first starting out as a lawyer.

In a recent interview, Garrett said he is turning 65 this year and felt the time is right to step down.

“It’s hard to believe it went so fast,” Garrett said. “I came here in 1982 for a summer job during my first year in law school at Pendleton & Gamble. The firm hired me every year to come back. They hired me after law school and made me a partner. My office has never been more than 100 yards from where I started.”

When he was sworn into office eight years ago during his investiture, Garrett fondly recalled memories of the late Don Pendleton, the Amherst lawyer who hired him. Pendleton was an “amazing man” and close friend who taught him to treat everyone the same, whether they cut wood for a living or served in such esteemed positions as governor, Garrett said at the time.

Garrett served as a substitute judge prior to permanently taking the bench as a J&D judge 18 years ago. Jeff Bennett, the current Amherst County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge, will become the new Circuit Court judge in Amherst effective July 1.

After serving 18 years as a judge in two different courts, Garrett said he feels it’s the right time to give the gavel over to someone else.

“Within the bounds of the law, you do what you think is just,” Garrett said. “I sure enjoyed my time here. This is a terrific community. It’s a great place to live and a great place to work.”

Garrett said he also enjoyed his time as a regular sitting judge in Nelson Circuit Court, which ended several years ago when a new position was added to the 24th Judicial District that allowed Nelson to have a full-time circuit judge.

The judicial district that serves the Lynchburg area is blessed to have such dedicated lawyers, he said.

“They fight hard in court, they are cordial and polite with each other in court and after,” Garrett said. “They do their jobs but get along. That makes it a pleasure when you’re a judge and a lawyer.”

He said many attorneys he knows in the legal community would have made excellent judges but timing wasn’t on their side and he considers himself fortunate.

“You can practice hard and you can fight hard but your word is your bond and the lawyers need to know that,” Garrett said of qualities a judge should have.

A graduate from the William & Mary School of Law, Gamble began his career as a summer clerk at Pendleton & Gamble and has described the firm a terrific training ground. He said he was blessed to get a job with the Amherst firm.

“It was a perfect fit for me,” Garrett said. “They were great lawyers.”

Gamble swore Garrett into office during the 2015 investiture. At that ceremony, then-Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney and current Nelson Circuit Court judge Mike Doucette, described Garrett as an “ethical, smart, well-prepared, articulate” upholder of the law.

Growing up in the Fort Hill area of Lynchburg, Garrett excelled in football and track at his alma mater, E.C. Glass High School, but it was the competition of the courtroom that piqued his career interest.

“As nerdy as this sounds, I wanted to be a lawyer since I was in fifth grade,” Garrett said.

His parents watched the television show “Perry Mason” every Saturday night and Garrett loved the courtroom scenes. Garrett recalled reading a book on jury selection in high school and taking lunch breaks while working at a downtown department store to observe the real-life court going on in Lynchburg Circuit Court, watching the judges, including Judge Norman Moon, now the presiding judge in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg, hear cases.

Garrett participated in “moot court” in E.C. Glass, a mock murder case that Moon presided over, and recalled making the opening statement, leaving to take part in a track meet and coming back to court. “We ended up losing but it was a neat experience,” Garrett said.

The day he was sworn in as circuit court judge, Garrett thanked his family members, including his father, for working hard and scraping by to make sure he would go to law school and fulfill his dream.

Though he plans to retire, Garrett said he will stay involved in the legal community and help out as a substitute judge on the recall list. He also will be a judicial performance evaluator and will assist in remediation and settlement conferences on the civil side of the circuit court’s caseload.

Garrett said the circuit court is in good hands with Bennett stepping in and succeeding him for the second time in eight years.

“I think he’ll do a fine job,” Garrett said.

Eugene Butler, a Washington, D.C., native with more than 20 years of law experience, will become the new J&D judge in Amherst.

Garrett said he is thankful for the confidence put into him by the Virginia General Assembly in serving as judge.

“It was an honor to serve the folks in Amherst and Nelson,” Garrett said.