Photographic portrait, 2006

Born 1949 in Santa Monica, California.

First elected by the General Assembly on March 10, 2006 to an eight-year term beginning March 16, 2006. Elected to a second eight-year term in 2014.

Education:
College of William and Mary, A.B., 1971
College of William and Mary, J.D., 1974

Professional career:
Private practice of law in Abingdon, Virginia, 1974-1976.
Assistant commonwealth’s attorney, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1976-1978.
Commonwealth’s attorney, Lynchburg, Virginia, 1978-2006.
Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, 1997-2003.
Virginia State Crime Commission, 1998-2006.
Virginia State Bar Standing Committee on Legal Ethics, 1993-2002.
Commonwealth’s Attorneys Services Council, 1978-2006.
Virginia Supreme Court Commission on Courts in the 21st Century, 2005-2007.
Virginia Supreme Court Commission on Appellate Rules Reform, 2005-2007.

Sources:
Elected, Journals of the Senate of Virginia, 2006 Regular Session, 1691; education, professional career, Alan Cooper, “Petty, Beales Join the Contest for Two Appeals Court Seats,” Virginia Lawyers Weekly, January 23, 2006, retrieved from valawyersweekly.com on December 2, 2014; and biographical vertical files, Virginia State Law Library.