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The Virginia General Assembly on Monday approved more than a dozen lower court judges but delayed action on filling key openings on the Virginia Court of Appeals and a vacancy on the Virginia Supreme Court.

The delay occurred despite nearly two hours of judicial interviews for the positions held earlier in the day by a joint committee of the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate.

The joint committee heard from one nominee for the upcoming vacancy on the Virginia Supreme Court and four candidates for as many as three anticipated vacancies on the Court of Appeals.

Senate Democrats were unhappy that a candidate they support for a Court of Appeals vacancy was not interviewed by the committee, which has a GOP majority.

But some Senate Republicans were also upset over the selection process.

Approval of judicial candidates requires a simple majority of the 100-member House and the 40-member ﻿Senate. While Republicans control both chambers, they have only 21 votes in the Senate and cannot approve a judge in the chamber without unanimous support of their caucus.

Democrats on Monday offered to lend support in some of the nominations in exchange for consideration of their candidate, but they were rebuffed.