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Proposal to dedicate Southampton County courthouse to Chief Justice Goodwin deferred until after his retirement
Summary
Following extensive public comment both for and against, the board voted to revisit a proposal to dedicate the county courthouse to Chief Justice S. Bernard Goodwin after he has actually retired; supporters cited his career and local ties, while others said naming a taxpayer-funded building after a living person should be delayed and researched further.
The Southampton County Board of Supervisors voted to defer consideration of a proposal to dedicate the new courthouse to Chief Justice S. Bernard Goodwin until after he has retired.
Rick Francis (speaker 17), who brought the proposal to the board, asked supervisors to place modest lettering outside the courthouse and to include an interior portrait and biographical display. Supporters at the public hearing described Goodwin’s path from Southampton County schools to the Virginia Supreme Court and called the dedication a symbol for local youth.
Opponents and some board members urged caution. Several supervisors said the building was paid for with taxpayer dollars and that naming municipal infrastructure after a living official is contentious; one supervisor said additional research into the justice’s judicial record and positions was appropriate before committing the county. Another concern raised was whether naming should follow an established, transparent county policy rather than ad hoc decisions.
After extended discussion the board member moved that the body revisit the proposal after Chief Justice Goodwin’s retirement; the motion was seconded and approved by board vote. The board did not remove the possibility of dedication in the future but set a procedural pause to allow members to gather additional information and public feedback.
The board's action preserves the status quo name on the courthouse for now while allowing for reconsideration once Goodwin is formally retired and additional review is completed.
