Courts in Virginia

More information on Virginia's state courts:

Selection methods
Elections
Salaries
Federal courts

In Virginia, there are two federal district courts, a state supreme court, a state court of appeals, and trial courts of general and limited jurisdiction. These courts serve different purposes, which are outlined in the sections below.

Click a link for information about that court type.

* Federal courts
* State supreme court
* State court of appeals
* Trial courts

The image below depicts the flow of cases through Virginia's state court system. Cases typically originate in the trial courts and can be appealed to courts higher up in the system.

The structure of Virginia's state court system.

## Contents

* 1 Judicial selection process
* 2 Federal courts
* 2.1 Active judges
* 2.1.1 Eastern District
* 2.1.2 Western District
* 2.2 Judicial selection
* 2.3 Bankruptcy courts
* 3 State supreme court
* 4 State court of appeals
* 5 Trial courts
* 5.1 Circuit courts
* 5.2 General district courts
* 5.3 Juvenile and Domestic Relations district courts
* 5.4 Magistrate system
* 6 In other states
* 7 See also
* 8 External links
* 9 Footnotes

## Judicial selection process[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in Virginia and Virginia judicial elections

Selection of state court judges in Virginia occurs almost exclusively through legislative selection.[1] Having used this method even before it was granted statehood, Virginia is one of only two states in the country, the other being South Carolina, where judges are selected this way.[2]

To read more about judicial elections in Virginia, click here.

## Federal courts[edit]

The federal district courts in Virginia are the:

* Eastern District of Virginia
* Western District of Virginia

Appeals from this district goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.

### Active judges[edit]

#### Eastern District[edit]

Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law

|
|
|
|

Leonie Brinkema

Bill Clinton (D)

|  October 20, 1993 -  |

Rutgers University, 1966

Cornell Law School, 1976

Mark Davis

George W. Bush (R)

|  June 23, 2008 -  |

University of Virginia, 1984

Washington & Lee University School of Law, 1988

Arenda L. Wright Allen

Barack Obama (D)

|  May 12, 2011 -  |

Kutztown State College, 1982

North Carolina Central University School of Law, 1985

M. Hannah Lauck

Barack Obama (D)

|  June 10, 2014 -  |

Wellesley College, 1986

Yale Law School, 1991

Rossie Alston

Donald Trump (R)

|  June 12, 2019 -  |

Averett University, 1979

North Carolina Central University School of Law, 1982

David J. Novak

Donald Trump (R)

|  October 17, 2019 -  |

St. Vincent College, 1983

Villanova University, 1986

Roderick Charles Young

Donald Trump (R)

|  September 29, 2020 -  |

George Mason University, 1989

West Virginia University College of Law, 1994

Patricia Tolliver Giles

Joe Biden (D)

|  November 1, 2021 -  |

University of Virginia, 1995

University of Virginia School of Law, 1998

Michael Nachmanoff

Joe Biden (D)

|  November 2, 2021 -  |

Wesleyan University, 1991

University of Virginia School of Law, 1995

Elizabeth Hanes

Joe Biden (D)

|  August 5, 2022 -  |

University of Richmond, 2000

University of Richmond School of Law, 2007

Jamar Walker

Joe Biden (D)

|  March 3, 2023 -  |

University of Virginia, 2008

University of Virginia School of Law, 2011

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

#### Western District[edit]

Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law

|
|
|
|

Elizabeth K. Dillon

Barack Obama (D)

|  December 19, 2014 -  |

Lenoir-Rhyne College, 1983

Wake Forest University

Thomas T. Cullen

Donald Trump (R)

|  September 15, 2020 -  |

Furman University, 2000

William and Mary Law School, 2004

Robert S. Ballou

Joe Biden (D)

|  March 9, 2023 -  |

University of Virginia, 1984

University of Virginia, 1987

Jasmine Yoon

Joe Biden (D)

|  July 8, 2024 -  |

University of Virginia, 2003

University of Virginia Law, 2006

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: 3
* Republican appointed: 1

### Judicial selection[edit]

Judges who sit on the federal district courts are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate. These judges serve life terms. To read more about the judges on these courts, click here.

### Bankruptcy courts[edit]

There are two federal bankruptcy courts in Virginia. These courts have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal bankruptcy courts in Virginia are:

* Eastern District of Virginia Bankruptcy Court
* Western District of Virginia Bankruptcy Court

## State supreme court[edit]

See also: Virginia Supreme Court

Founded in 1776, the Virginia Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has seven judgeships. The current chief of the court is Bernard Goodwyn. In 2018, the court decided 1,697 cases.

As of August 2022, one judge on the court was appointed by a Democratic governor and six were appointed by the General Assembly. Bernard Goodwyn was appointed to a pro tempore term by Tim Kaine before the legislature confirmed him to a full term.

The following judges sit on the court:

Office | Name | Party | Date assumed office

|
|
|

Supreme Court of Virginia | Teresa M. Chafin | Nonpartisan | September 1, 2019
Supreme Court of Virginia | S. Bernard Goodwyn | Nonpartisan | October 10, 2007
Supreme Court of Virginia | D. Arthur Kelsey | Nonpartisan | March 6, 2015
Supreme Court of Virginia | Thomas P. Mann | Nonpartisan | August 1, 2022
Supreme Court of Virginia | Stephen R. McCullough | Nonpartisan | March 3, 2016
Supreme Court of Virginia | Cleo Powell | Nonpartisan | August 1, 2011
Supreme Court of Virginia | Wesley G. Russell Jr. | Nonpartisan | July 1, 2022

## State court of appeals[edit]

See also: Virginia Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals of Virginia is the intermediate appellate court in Virginia. It was established in 1985. It was created in order to increase the appellate capacity of the court system and expedite the appellate process. It is made up of 17 judges who serve eight-year terms.[3][4] The court was originally made up of 11 judges, but the passage of SB 1261 in March 2021 increased the number of judges to 17. On August 10, 2021, the Virginia General Assembly elected eight new members to the court–six to fill the newly established judicial seats and two members to fill vacant seats.[5] Seven of the eight judges took office on September 1, 2021, while one took office on November 1, 2021.[6]

The following judges sit on the court:

Judge | Tenure | Appointed By

|
|

Dominique Callins

November 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Clifford Lynwood Athey Jr.

September 1, 2019 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Mary Grace O'Brien

February 1, 2015 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Randolph Beales

April 16, 2006 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Vernida Chaney

September 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Frank Friedman

September 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Doris Henderson Causey

September 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Lisa Lorish

September 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Stuart Raphael

September 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Daniel E. Ortiz

September 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Junius P. Fulton III

September 1, 2021 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Marla Graff Decker

November 1, 2013 - Present

Bob McDonnell

Kimberley Slayton White

July 1, 2022 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Steven C. Frucci

March 16, 2024 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Mary B. Malveaux

April 16, 2016 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

Richard Y. AtLee Jr.

February 1, 2015 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

David Bernhard

January 1, 2025 - Present

Virginia General Assembly

## Trial courts[edit]

### Circuit courts[edit]

See also: Virginia Circuit Courts

The Circuit Courts are the only trial courts with general jurisdiction in Virginia. There is a circuit court in every city and county in Virginia. Circuit court judges hear criminal and civil cases and hear appeals from the district court and juvenile and domestic relations district court. They are also responsible for cases where the jurisdiction is not designated in the Code of Virginia.

The courts have exclusive original jurisdiction over civil cases with claims over $25,000. The circuit courts share jurisdiction with the General District Courts over civil claims between $4,500 and $25,000.[7][8]

### General district courts[edit]

See also: Virginia District Courts

The Virginia General District Courts are trial courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is a district court in every city and county in Virginia. The courts have jurisdiction over civil cases, criminal misdemeanors, and traffic infractions. The court can also hold preliminary hearings in felony cases to decide whether there is enough evidence to call for a grand jury. District courts do not hold jury trials.

General district courts are the only ones who can initiate civil cases with claims below $4,500. In civil cases with claims between $4,500 and $25,000, jurisdiction is shared with the circuit courts.[7]

### Juvenile and Domestic Relations district courts[edit]

The Virginia Juvenile and Domestic District Courts are trial courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is a district court in every city and county in Virginia. The courts handle cases that involve children under 18 years old who are accused of criminal behavior or involved in custody cases, abuse and neglect case, or support orders. District courts do not hold jury trials.[7]

### Magistrate system[edit]

There are eight magisterial regions in Virginia and one magistrate office in each of the state's 32 judicial districts. The magistrates review criminal complaints by law enforcement officials and citizens, issue emergency protective orders, set bail, issue warrants for searches or arrests, and issue subpoenas.[7]

## In other states[edit]

Click the map below to explore the court structure in other states.

Choose your state...AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington, D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

http://ballotpedia.org/Courts_in_STATE

## See also[edit]

* Judicial selection in Virginia
* Virginia judicial elections

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Search Google News for this topic
* Virginia Supreme Court

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Virginia," archived June 8, 2011
2. ↑ University of Richmond School of Law, "Reconsidering Virginia Judicial Selection," November 2008
3. ↑ Virginia's Judicial System, "Court of Appeals of Virginia"
4. ↑ Virginia's Judicial System, "Virginia Courts in Brief: term limits" see pg. 8
5. ↑ Associated Press, "Virginia lawmakers elect 8 new judges to appeals court," August 10, 2021
6. ↑ Virginia's Legislative Information System, "House Joint Resolution No. 7004," August 10, 2021
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Virginia Courts, "Virginia Courts in Brief," accessed March 11, 2021
8. ↑ Virginia's Court System, "Circuit Court," accessed March 11, 2021

Virginia courts

* * *

Federal courts:

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia

State courts:

Virginia Supreme Court • Virginia Court of Appeals • Virginia Circuit Courts • Virginia District Courts • Virginia Magistrates

State resources:

Courts in Virginia • Virginia judicial elections • Judicial selection in Virginia

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