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ALEXANDRIA, Va - Maana K. Parcham, a longtime prosecutor with experience on both sides of the criminal justice system, began serving April 1 as a juvenile and domestic relations judge for the 18th Judicial District, taking over a court that handles one of the broadest ranges of cases in Virginia's judicial system.
Parcham was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to fill the seat left vacant when Judge Thomas K. Cullen retired. Cullen chose to retire rather than undergo reappointment hearings after receiving performance evaluations in which nearly 60% of respondents rated his performance as "needs improvement" or worse, according to Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
A graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law with an undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech, Parcham served as an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Alexandria and previously worked as an assistant public defender with the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency. As recently as March, she was prosecuting high-profile cases including the retrial of a Secret Service officer charged with rape. ZoomInfo + 2
Her background also includes work as a legal fellow at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and experience in real estate law, giving her a broad foundation for juvenile and family court work.
Parcham joins Chief Judge Sean A. Sherlock on a court facing growing demands and technological challenges. Sherlock told city council in March that the court handled approximately 4,100 cases last year, a number expected to grow due to pending legislation that may expand the JDR court's subject matter jurisdiction. He also noted the court's technology is "pretty dated" compared to surrounding jurisdictions.
City council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on $116,000 in one-time funding for courtroom technology upgrades, part of final budget deliberations.
The Alexandria J&DR court differs from other courts in that it's not a court of record — there are no jury trials, and all cases are decided by the judge. But the range of cases is extraordinarily broad, from juveniles accused of delinquent acts and traffic infractions to child abuse and neglect cases, custody and support disputes, family abuse cases, and determining whether juveniles should be tried as adults in circuit court.
The court also provides extensive confidentiality protections, with the general public excluded from hearings and records kept confidential to protect children and families, according to the Virginia court system's informational pamphlet.
The court service unit handles intake for all cases, conducts background investigations, and provides probation and parole supervision. The unit also administers prevention and intervention programs, including mental health services with locally funded therapists, gang prevention initiatives, truancy intervention through an Attendance Review Panel, and multiple mentoring programs.
Parcham was nominated under House Resolution 485 and Senate Resolution 168, both offered March 13 by Del. Michelle Lopes Maldonado and Sen. Scott Surovell. In Virginia's judicial selection process, the House and Senate vote separately on appointments, with the candidate receiving the most votes confirmed to a six-year term.
She was among 10 attorneys selected to fill juvenile and domestic relations vacancies statewide, joining new judges in districts from Chesapeake to Smyth County.
