Thorne-Begland commented that he was "looking forward to continuing to serve the citizens of the city of Richmond and the great commonwealth of Virginia" in his role as a prosecutor. A month later, on June 14, the Richmond Circuit Court judges appointed him to the position for which he was rejected by the legislature. The temporary appointment began July 1, 2012, to expire 30 days after the date the next legislative session began. Governor McDonnell's spokesman congratulated Thorne-Begland on the appointment, stating, "the Governor believes Mr. Thorne-Begland is well-qualified to serve on the bench". Marshall called the move "highly imprudent and arrogant" of the judges: "They're contesting the authority of the General Assembly. . . . This is an act of defiance on their part. When appointed officials get in fights with elected officials, they invariably lose." Thorne-Begland stated that "I look forward to serving the citizens of the City of Richmond as a jurist, and over the coming months, I hope that my Service provides comfort to all Virginians that I remain committed to the faithful application of the laws and Constitutions of Virginia and the United States of America."