United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
| Eastern District of Virginia |
|---|
| Fourth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 11 |
| Judges: 11 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Mark Davis |
| Active judges: Arenda L. Wright Allen, Rossie Alston, Leonie Brinkema, Mark Davis, Patricia Tolliver Giles, Elizabeth Hanes, M. Hannah Lauck, Michael Nachmanoff, David J. Novak, Jamar Walker, Roderick Charles Young Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of 94 United States district courts. It is one of two federal district courts serving the commonwealth of Virginia. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit based in downtown Richmond, Virginia, at the Lewis F. Powell Federal Courthouse.
Vacancies
- See also: Current federal judicial vacancies
There are no current vacancies on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, out of the court's 11 judicial positions.
Pending nominations
There are no pending nominees for this court.
Active judges
Article III judges
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 1993 - |
Rutgers University, 1966 |
Cornell Law School, 1976 |
||
| June 23, 2008 - |
University of Virginia, 1984 |
Washington & Lee University School of Law, 1988 |
||
| May 12, 2011 - |
Kutztown State College, 1982 |
North Carolina Central University School of Law, 1985 |
||
| June 10, 2014 - |
Wellesley College, 1986 |
Yale Law School, 1991 |
||
| June 12, 2019 - |
Averett University, 1979 |
North Carolina Central University School of Law, 1982 |
||
| October 17, 2019 - |
St. Vincent College, 1983 |
Villanova University, 1986 |
||
| September 29, 2020 - |
George Mason University, 1989 |
West Virginia University College of Law, 1994 |
||
| November 1, 2021 - |
University of Virginia, 1995 |
University of Virginia School of Law, 1998 |
||
| November 2, 2021 - |
Wesleyan University, 1991 |
University of Virginia School of Law, 1995 |
||
| August 5, 2022 - |
University of Richmond, 2000 |
University of Richmond School of Law, 2007 |
||
| March 3, 2023 - |
University of Virginia, 2008 |
University of Virginia School of Law, 2011 |
Active Article III judges by appointing political party
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 7
- Republican appointed: 4
Senior judges
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2005 - |
The Ohio State University, 1963 |
American University, Washington College of Law, 1966 |
||
| April 1, 2007 - |
Princeton University, 1961 |
Harvard Law School, 1969 |
||
| May 7, 2007 - |
Washington and Lee University, 1963 |
Washington and Lee University School of Law, 1967 |
||
| June 1, 2018 - |
American University, 1969 |
American University, Washington College of Law, 1974 |
||
| August 1, 2019 - |
College of William and Mary, 1971 |
College of William and Mary Law, 1979 |
||
| May 1, 2020 - |
Franklin & Marshall College, 1973 |
George Mason University School of Law, 1977 |
||
| June 1, 2021 - |
Princeton University, 1971 |
University of Virginia School of Law, 1974 |
||
| November 1, 2021 - |
College of William & Mary, 1973 |
University of Virginia School of Law, 1976 |
||
| November 23, 2021 - |
Norfolk State University, 1970 |
University of Virginia, 1973 |
Senior judges by appointing political party
The list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democrat appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 7
Magistrate judges
Federal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve in United States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years.[1]
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 22, 2008 - |
University of Virginia |
University of Virginia |
||
| September 22, 2008 - |
University of Virginia, 1984 |
Howard University Law, 1987 |
||
| November 3, 2009 - |
James Madison University, 1984 |
College of William and Mary Law, 1995 |
||
| September 2, 2015 - |
Mount St. Mary's College |
American University |
||
|
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia |
May 10, 2021 - |
James Madison University, 1999 |
University of Richmond School of Law, 2002 |
Former chief judges
In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.[2]
In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.[3][4][5]
The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.[3][4][5]
Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.[2][3][4][5]
On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the president of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.[6]
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Former judges
For more information on judges of the Eastern District of Virginia, see former federal judges of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Jurisdiction
The Eastern District of Virginia has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The Eastern District of Virginia court's jurisdiction covers slightly over six million people, comprising approximately 85 percent of the state's population.
There are four court divisions, each covering the following counties and cities:
The Alexandria Division, covering Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford counties, in addition to the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
The Newport Division, covering Gloucester, James City, Mathews and York counties, in addition to the cities of Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, and Williamsburg.
The Norfolk Division, covering Accomack, Isle of Wight, Northampton and Southampton counties, in addition to the cities of Cape Charles, Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.
The Richmond Division, covering Amelia, Brunswick, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Essex, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Nottoway, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Surry, Sussex and Westmoreland counties, in addition to the cities of Colonial Heights, Emporia, Fredericksburg, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond.
Caseloads
This section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in September 2024. Click [show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.
| Caseload statistics explanation | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Explanation | ||||||||
| Cases filed and terminated | The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated or decided by the court in a calendar year. The chart below reflects the table columns Cases filed and Cases terminated. | ||||||||
| Average time from filing to disposition | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to date of disposition (acquittal, sentencing, dismissal, etc.). The chart below reflects the table columns Median time (Criminal) and Median time (Civil). | ||||||||
| Starting case load | The number of cases pending from the previous calendar year. | ||||||||
| Cases filed | The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated in a calendar year. | ||||||||
| Cases terminated | The total number of civil and criminal lawsuits decided by the court in a calendar year. | ||||||||
| Remaining cases | The number of civil and criminal cases pending at the end of a given year. | ||||||||
| Median time (Criminal) | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. In criminal cases, the date of disposition occurs on the day of sentencing or acquittal/dismissal. | ||||||||
| Median time (Civil) | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. | ||||||||
| Three-year civil cases | The number and percent of civil cases that were filed more than three years before the end of the given calendar year. | ||||||||
| Vacant posts | The number of months during the year an authorized judgeship was vacant. | ||||||||
| Trial/Post | The number of trials completed divided by the number of authorized judgeships on the court. Trials include evidentiary trials, hearings on temporary restraining orders, and preliminary injunctions. | ||||||||
| United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia caseload stats, 2010-2023 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Cases Filed | Cases Terminated | Cases Pending | Number of Judgeships | Vacant Judgeship Months | Average Total Filings per Judgeship | Trials Completed per Judgeship | Median time from filing to disposition, criminal | Median time from filing to disposition, civil | Three-year civil cases (#) | Three-year civil cases (%) |
| 2010 | 5,296 | 4,983 | 3,380 | 11 | 13 | 481 | 33 | 5 | 5 | 64 | 3 |
| 2011 | 5,094 | 5,133 | 3,050 | 11 | 5 | 464 | 33 | 5 | 5 | 70 | 4 |
| 2012 | 5,103 | 5,096 | 3,355 | 11 | 0 | 464 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 1 |
| 2013 | 5,138 | 4,975 | 3,360 | 11 | 0 | 467 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 27 | 1 |
| 2014 | 4,867 | 4,492 | 3,242 | 11 | 3 | 442 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 47 | 2 |
| 2015 | 4,846 | 5,027 | 3,122 | 11 | 0 | 441 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 3 |
| 2016 | 5,032 | 4,636 | 3,518 | 11 | 0 | 457 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 159 | 6 |
| 2017 | 4,644 | 4,755 | 3,442 | 11 | 3 | 422 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 354 | 14 |
| 2018 | 4,994 | 4,745 | 3,380 | 11 | 19 | 454 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 117 | 5 |
| 2019 | 4,910 | 4,839 | 3,446 | 11 | 20 | 446 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 86 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4,328 | 3,733 | 4,035 | 11 | 14 | 393 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 84 | 3 |
| 2021 | 4,183 | 4,575 | 3,691 | 11 | 18 | 380 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 166 | 7 |
| 2022 | 4,160 | 4,213 | 3,683 | 11 | 19 | 378 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 355 | 14 |
| 2023 | 4,552 | 4,394 | 3,828 | 11 | 0 | 414 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 354 | 13 |
| Average | 4,796 | 4,685 | 3,467 | 11 | 8 | 436 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 141 | 6 |
History
The District of Virginia was established by Congress on September 24, 1789, with one post to cover the entire state. On February 4, 1819, Congress divided the district into the Eastern District of Virginia and the Western District of Virginia with one post each. In June 11, 1864, Congress again redefined the boundaries of the district, transitioning a portion of the Western District of Virginia to the newly formed District of West Virginia and consolidating the entire state of Virginia into one district. On February 3, 1871, Congress again divided the district into its current state, with the Eastern District of Virginia and the Western District of Virginia, each holding one post to begin. Over time, ten additional judicial posts were added to the Western District of Virginia for a total of eleven posts.[7]
Judicial posts
The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Eastern District of Virginia:[7]
| Year | Statute | Total Seats |
| September 24, 1789 | 1 Stat. 73 | 1 (Whole state) |
| February 4, 1819 | 3 Stat. 478 | 1 |
| June 11, 1864 | 13 Stat. 124 (Consolidation due to creation of West Virginia) | 1(Whole state) |
| February 3, 1871 | 16 Stat. 403 | 1 |
| August 2, 1935 | 49 Stat. 508 | 2 |
| February 10, 1954 | 68 Stat. 8 | 3 |
| March 18, 1966 | 80 Stat. 75 | 5 |
| June 2, 1970 | 84 Stat. 294 | 6 |
| October 20, 1978 | 92 Stat. 1629 | 8 |
| July 10, 1984 | 98 Stat. 333 | 9 |
| December 1, 1990 | 104 Stat. 5089 | 10 (1 temporary) |
| December 21, 2000 | 114 Stat. 2762 | 11 (1 temporary) |
| November 2, 2002 | 116 Stat. 1758 | 11 |
Noteworthy cases
For a searchable list of opinions, please see Opinions of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Federal courthouse
There are four federal courthouses that serve the Eastern District of Virginia. They are located in Norfolk, Alexandria, Richmond, and Newport News.[8]
About United States District Courts
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. There are 94 such courts. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity.
There is a United States bankruptcy court and a number of bankruptcy judges associated with each United States district court. Each federal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and most districts have more than one.
There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. District courts in three insular areas—the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—exercise the same jurisdiction as U.S. district courts. Despite their name, these courts are technically not District Courts of the United States. Judges on these territorial courts do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the Constitution, and serve terms of 10 years rather than for life.
There are 677 U.S. District Court judgeships.[9][10]
The number of federal district judge positions is set by the U.S. Congress in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133, which authorizes a set number of judge positions, or judgeships, making changes and adjustments in these numbers from time to time.
In order to relieve the pressure of trying the hundreds of thousands of cases brought before the federal district courts each year, many trials are tried by juries, along with a presiding judge.[11]
Appointments by president
The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through November 1 of the fourth year of each president's term in office. At this point in the term, President Bill Clinton had the most district court appointments with 169.
Judges by district
- See also: Judicial vacancies in federal courts
The table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before the United States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday.
Judicial selection
The district courts are served by Article III federal judges who are appointed for life during "good behavior." They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United States makes the appointments, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.[10]
| Step |  Candidacy Proceeds
|
 Candidacy Halts
|
|---|---|---|
| 1. Recommendation made by Congress Member to the President | President Nominates to Senate Judiciary Committee | President Declines Nomination |
| 2. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews Candidate | Sends candidate to Senate for confirmation | Returns candidate to President, who may re-nominate to Committee |
| 3. Senate votes on candidate confirmation | Candidate becomes federal judge | Candidate does not receive judgeship |
Magistrate judges
The district courts are also served by magistrate judges. Congress created the judicial office of federal magistrate in 1968. In 1990, the position title was changed to magistrate judge. The chief judge of each district appoints one or more magistrate judges, who discharge many of the ancillary duties of district judges so judges can handle more trials. There are both full-time and part-time magistrate judge positions, and these positions are assigned to the district courts according to caseload criteria (subject to funding by Congress). A full-time magistrate judge serves a term of eight years; a part-time magistrate judge's term of office is four years.[12]
See also
- United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
- District of Maryland
- Eastern District of North Carolina
- Middle District of North Carolina
- Western District of North Carolina
- District of South Carolina
- Western District of Virginia
- Northern District of West Virginia
- Southern District of West Virginia
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Opinions of the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Judges of the Eastern District of Virginia
Footnotes
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Magistrate Judgeships," accessed April 29, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 United States Courts, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 136 - Chief judges; precedence of district judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 258 - Chief judges; precedence of judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 45 - Chief judges; precedence of judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 171 - Appointment and number of judges; character of court; designation of chief judge," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Federal Judicial Center, "History of the Districts of Virginia," accessed May 25, 2021
- ↑ Eastern District of Virginia, "Court Locations," accessed May 20, 2021
- ↑ US Courts, "Federal Judgeships," accessed May 10, 2021 (archived)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 U.S. Courts, "United States District Court Federal Judiciary Frequently Asked Questions," accessed May 10, 2021 (archived)
- ↑ United States District Courts, "District Courts," accessed May 10, 2021
- ↑ The 'Lectric Law Library, "Understanding the U.S. federal courts"
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Mark Davis (Virginia) • Leonie Brinkema • M. Hannah Lauck • Rossie Alston • Arenda L. Wright Allen • Michael Nachmanoff • Roderick Young • David Novak (Virginia) • Patricia Tolliver Giles • Elizabeth Hanes • Jamar Walker | ||
| Senior judges |
T.S. Ellis III • Claude Hilton • Anthony Trenga • Liam O'Grady • Rebecca Smith (Virginia) • Raymond Jackson • Robert Payne (Virginia) • Henry Hudson • John A. Gibney • | ||
| Magistrate judges | John F. Anderson • Ivan Davis • Douglas E. Miller • Robert J. Krask • Mark Colombell • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
George Tucker • George Hay • Philip Pendelton Barbour • Peter Vivian Daniel • John Young Mason • James Dandridge Halyburton • John Curtiss Underwood • Robert William Hughes • Edmund Waddill • James Spencer (Virginia) • James Cacheris • Robert Doumar • Henry Morgan • Richard Williams (Virginia) • Gerald Lee • Jerome Friedman • Duncan Groner • Luther Way • Robert Nelson Pollard • Albert Bryan, Sr. • John Butzner • Joseph Clarke • Walter Hoffman • Charles Hutcheson • Richard Kellam • Walter Kelley • Oren Lewis • John MacKenzie (Virginia) • Robert Merhige • David Warriner • Albert Bryan, Jr. • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
James Spencer (Virginia) • Claude Hilton • James Cacheris • Albert Bryan, Sr. • Walter Hoffman • Charles Hutcheson • Richard Kellam • John MacKenzie (Virginia) • Albert Bryan, Jr. • | ||
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