Judges from around the 16th Virginia Judicial Circuit attend the unveiling in Culpeper County Circuit Court of a portrait of Judge Susan Whitlock, the first such painting of a woman judge to hang in the courthouse.
Culpeper District Court Judge Theresa Carter (left) listens as Judge Susan Whitlock (right) speaks about her career during Whitlock’s portrait unveiling Dec. 16 in Circuit Court.
Judges from around Virginia’s 16th Circuit attend the unveiling of a portrait of Judge Susan Whitlock (seated right) in the Culpeper County Courthouse.
Culpeper County Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Walther (left) unveils a portrait of Judge Susan Whitlock in the circuit courtroom with Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Travis Owens.
Culpeper Circuit Court Judge Dale Durrer (center) speaks at Judge Susan Whitlock’s portrait unveiling in his courtroom. In attendance were judges from around the 16th Circuit: David Franzen (right back), Gil Berger (left back) and (front left) Theresa Carter and Deborah Tinsley.
Portraits of former Culpeper judges, all men, hang in the circuit courtroom.
The family of Judge Susan Whitlock (center, left) stands during her portrait unveiling Dec. 16 in Culpeper County Circuit Court.
Regional judicial leaders recently unveiled the first portrait of a female judge to hang in Culpeper County Circuit Court during its history of more than two centuries.
Judge Susan Whitlock was selected for the honor, having served eight years in the Culpeper courtroom as a circuit judge until her retirement in 2020.
The Louisa County native, a 1991 graduate of the University of Richmond’s School of Law, previously served as commonwealth’s attorney and a juvenile & domestic relations judge for more than 20 years in Louisa.
Last Thursday, Dec. 16, Culpeper County Circuit Court Judge Dale Durrer presided over a special afternoon session, with judges from around the 16th Judicial Circuit, for a ceremony in which Whitlock’s portait was revealed. The judges were joined by members of the Culpeper County Bar Association as well as friends, family and other honored guests.
The bar commissioned Gordonsville artist Becky Parrish to paint Whitlock’s portrait.
Parrish also created the recently unveiled portrait in Orange County’s old circuit courtroom of Capt. Andrew Maples, a native son and Tuskegee airman missing in action since World War II.
Maples’ portrait is the first one of an African American to hang in an Orange courtroom. It is part of a grassroots effort to bring diversity to the imagery contained in the halls of justice.
At the latest portrait’s unveiling, Durrer used the words diligence, humility, integrity, decisiveness and empathy to describe Whitlock.
“The courtroom here is an enduring symbol of our republic, and her service made it work a whole lot better,” he said.
“The life of a judge is not easy. No choice you make is without cost. No decision is easy,” Durrer said. “Once in a while, someone comes along that makes the job look so easy, makes it look like that’s what she was created to do.”
That’s how Whitlock, still filling in as a substitute judge on the circuit in her retirement, rules from the bench, he said.
“She made it look incredibly easy. I can assure you that it’s not,” Durrer said. “Her efforts made it look like everything was always in control … I can think of no finer person that deserves a portrait displayed this courtroom than Susan Whitlock.”
Whitlock, clearly humbled by the recognition, thanked her colleagues, family and everyone else for taking time out of the busy holiday season to attend the unveiling.
She named each of the judges in attendance—Chief Judge Timothy Sanner, Durrer, Richard Moore, David Franzen, Theresa Carter, Ronald Morris, Deborah Tinsley, Gil Berger and Frank Somerville.
She also mentioned Judge John Cullen, not in attendance, as someone in whose footsteps she followed. They both started out in the field in her uncle’s law firm, W.W. Whitlock. Then he became commonwealth’s attorney in Louisa, a juvenile-court judge and, finally a circuit judge, like her.
“I am mindful of all those who have served on this court,” she said.
Whitlock called the unveiling a testimony to the history of the court and the citizens of Culpeper County and beyond.
“I’ve been blessed in my life; my son said I need to show emotion. I’m known for being in control,” she said, showing emotion. “I have a wonderful and supportive family always willing to make many sacrifices so I could properly serve this court.”
She quoted from President George Washington’s retirement speech, as portrayed in the musical “Hamilton,” in reflecting on her judicial career.
“In reviewing the incidence of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error. I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects to think it probable I may have committed many errors,” Whitlock stated.
“Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech thee to avert or mitigate the evils they may tempt. I will also carry with me the hope that the court will never cease to view them with indulgence and that after years dedicated to its service with an upright seal the faults ... will be assigned to oblivion.”
Whitlock said she has always been honored by any opportunity to serve the court and the commonwealth of Virginia, and was especially honored by the day’s ceremony.
A committee comprised of court and local government officials worked to finalize details of Whitlock’s portrait. Culpeper historian Zann Nelson, who also helped with the Maples portrait project, brought the idea to Durrer in March about diversifying the Culpeper courtroom’s portraits. He immediately thought of Whitlock.
“It is so fitting we gather on land surveyed by George Washington as a 17-year-old to honor someone who’s made such an indelible impact on this court, this judicial circuit, our state and our country,” Durrer said, adding. “I am very hesitant to put this portrait anywhere but directly behind me.”
Putting it in front of the bench would be too intimidating, the Circuit Court judge said, stating that Whitlock is in a league of her own.
She is known for her quiet but stern brand of rule.
Judge Sanner said Whitlock has been a great help to the judicial circuit, even in her retirement. Her style on the bench he described as graceful. “We all admire that greatly,” he said.
Judge Carter said she remembered first meeting Whitlock as a prosecutor in Orange.
“And I remember thinking, wow, this is a female judge,” said Carter, also a woman. “Very thoughtful, decisive, you handled that courtroom with ease that day, and I thought maybe someday I could …”
Carter added that she learned from watching Whitlock that one does not have to speak loudly to command the attention of everyone in the courtroom.
Whitlock’s quiet, steady mannerisms have been known to command respect, sometimes in a chilling fashion.
“You are such a role model to me, and when I got on the bench, your door was always open. I felt like I belonged upstairs and could talk to you about anything and everything, and I really appreciate that,” Carter said.
Judge Tinsley worked with Whitlock in the Louisa prosecutor’s office, and later they became judicial colleagues.
“Most importantly, you’ve been my mentor, you became my friend and you became my sister from a different mother,” she said. “This portrait will also stand for what’s best in the judiciary.”
Whitlock’s willingness to listen to all sides before making a decision and her deliberateness in reaching decisions were very impressive, Judge Franzen said.
One of the darkest days in Louisa Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court was when Whitlock moved up to the Cicuit Court in Culpeper, Judge Somerville said.
“Localities hang their judges, so in Orange we hang Orange judges, and I can’t think of a finer compliment that Culpeper decided to hang a Louisa judge,” he said.
Judge Morris commented that Whitlock helped train him up as a commonwealth’s attorney in Greene County.
“When I think about your tenure on the JDR bench, I think about diligence and care,” he said. “You care about people, the people who appear in front of you and the people who worked with you.”
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Indelible impact: First portrait of a female judge to hang in Culpeper Circuit Court - Culpeper Star-Exponent
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