Judge William W. Sharp, presiding judge in the Warren County Circuit Court, announces retirement

Judge William W. Sharp of 26th Circuit Court, and currently a presiding judge in the Warren County Circuit Court, has announced that he is retiring effective June 30, 2022.

Upon his retirement, Judge Sharp will have served a total of twenty-eight (28) years on the bench. He initially began serving as a Judge of the 26^th District Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on July 1, 1994. At that time, he served as the presiding judge in Warren, Page, and Shenandoah Counties. Later, he was re-assigned from Page and Shenandoah to preside in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts of Winchester City/Frederick County and Harrisonburg City/Rockingham County, while remaining the presiding judge in Warren County. Judge Sharp served as Chief Judge of the 26^th District Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court from 1998 to 2007.

On July 1, 2019, following his election by the General Assembly and after completing 25 years of service in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Judge Sharp was sworn in as a Judge of the 26^th Judicial Circuit and began serving in Warren County and Winchester City/Frederick County. Since May 2020, he has been the presiding Circuit Court Judge in Warren County.

Judge Sharp was the 2017 recipient of the Hon. Harry L. Carrico Outstanding Career Service Award, awarded annually to a Virginia judge by the Judicial Council of Virginia for exceptional leadership and service in the courts. In 2019, he was also honored by the Virginia Council of Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges with their annual Lelia Baum Hopper Service Award for dedication and contributions to the children and families of Virginia. He is a past-President of the Virginia Council of Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges, a former member of the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of Virginia District Courts, and has been a frequent lecturer at Judicial Conferences.

Before being appointed to the bench, Judge Sharp worked for seventeen years in Front Royal, Virginia as a practicing attorney, including service as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and Assistant Town Attorney, as well as in private practice.