Circuit Court Judge Malfourd “Bo” Trumbo administers the oath to Bill Cleaveland who is the new General District Court Judge in Botetourt and Craig counties.

William ” Bill” Cleaveland was sworn in as the new General District Court Judge for Botetourt and Craig Counties on Wednesday Jan. 30, 2013. Though Cleaveland a well respected trail lawyer  has been serving on the bench for four months, he became the official General District court  judge on that Wednesday afternoon.

Circuit Court Judge Malfourd ” Bo” Trumbo administered the oath to Cleaveland. Retired GD judge Louis K. “Kerry” Campbell and Juvenile and Domestic  Judge Paul Tucker were also in attendance. A host of court employees, lawyers, Commonwealth’s Attorney Joel Branscom and several of his assistants were also in attendance.

Cleaveland gave a few brief remarks. He thanked his staff, family, peers and others for his  new position and his ability to serve the community. He  stated, ” I will have an open door to attorneys… support the constitution…follow the law and mete out justice with mercy, what ever that entails.” He then concluded with scripture from the book of Micah in the Bible.

2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.

5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.

6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. –KJV

Judge Bill Cleaveland reading the verse from Micah.

This post has been edited.