United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia

Last updated
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
(W.D. Va.)
Virginia-western.gif
LocationRichard H. Poff Federal Building
(Roanoke)
More locations
Appeals to Fourth Circuit
EstablishedFebruary 4, 1819
Judges4
Chief Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Robert Tracci (acting)
U.S. Marshal Thomas L. Foster
www.vawd.uscourts.gov
Map of the United States District Courts in Virginia, showing the boundaries of the Eastern and Western Districts, and their divisions. US federal courts in Virginia.svg
Map of the United States District Courts in Virginia, showing the boundaries of the Eastern and Western Districts, and their divisions.

The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (in case citations, W.D. Va.) is a United States district court.

Contents

Appeals from the Western District of Virginia are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

The court is seated at multiple locations in Virginia: Abingdon, Charlottesville, Danville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg and Roanoke.

History

The United States District Court for the District of Virginia was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1  Stat.   73, on September 24, 1789. [1] [2]

On February 13, 1801, the Judiciary Act of 1801, 2  Stat.   89, divided Virginia into three judicial districts: the District of Virginia, which included the counties west of the Tidewater and south of the Rappahannock River; the District of Norfolk, which included the Tidewater counties south of the Rappahannock; and the District of Potomac, which included the counties north and east of the Rappahannock as well as Maryland counties along the Potomac. [2] Just over a year later, on March 8, 1802, the Judiciary Act of 1801 was repealed and Virginia became a single District again, 2  Stat.   132, effective July 1, 1802. [2]

The District of Virginia was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on February 4, 1819, by 3  Stat.   478. [1] [2] At that time, West Virginia, was still part of Virginia, and was encompassed in Virginia's Western District, while the Eastern District essentially covered what is now the entire state of Virginia. With the division of West Virginia from Virginia during the American Civil War, the Western District of Virginia became the District of West Virginia, and those parts of the Western District that were not part of West Virginia were combined with the Eastern District to form again a single District of Virginia on June 11, 1864, by 13  Stat.   124. [2] Congress again divided Virginia into Eastern and the Western Districts on February 3, 1871, by 16  Stat.   403. [2]

District courthouse in Lynchburg W.D. VA courthouse in Lynchburg.jpg
District courthouse in Lynchburg

Counties of jurisdiction

The Western District of Virginia covers the counties of Albemarle, Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Grayson, Greene, Halifax, Henry, Highland, Lee, Louisa, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Wise, and Wythe; and the independent cities of Bedford, Bristol, Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Covington, Danville, Galax, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Norton, Radford, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Winchester.

Current judges

As of July 8,2024:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
27Chief Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon Roanoke 19602014–present2024–present— Obama
28District Judge Thomas T. Cullen Roanoke 19772020–present—— Trump
29District Judge Robert S. Ballou Roanoke 19622023–present—— Biden
30District Judge Jasmine H. Yoon Charlottesville 19802024–present—— Biden
23Senior Judge James Parker Jones Abingdon 19401996–20212004–20102021–present Clinton
24Senior Judge Norman K. Moon Lynchburg 19361997–2010—2010–present Clinton
26Senior Judge Michael F. Urbanski Roanoke 19562011–20242017–20242024–present Obama

Former judges

#JudgeStateBorn–diedActive service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed byReason for
termination
1 John G. Jackson VA 1777–18251819–1825—— Monroe death
2 Philip C. Pendleton VA 1779–18631825–1825 [Note 1] —— J.Q. Adams resignation
3 Alexander Caldwell VA 1774–18391825–1839 [Note 2] —— J.Q. Adams death
4 Isaac S. Pennybacker VA 1805–18471839–1845 [Note 3] —— Van Buren resignation
5 John White Brockenbrough VA 1806–18771846–1861—— Polk resignation
6 John Jay Jackson Jr. VA 1824–19071861–1864—— Lincoln reassignment to D. W.Va.
7 Alexander Rives VA 1806–18851871–1882—— Grant retirement
8 John Paul VA 1839–19011883–1901—— Arthur death
9 Henry C. McDowell Jr. VA 1861–19331901–1931 [Note 4] —1931–1933 T. Roosevelt death
10 John Paul Jr. VA 1883–19641932–19581948–19581958–1964 Hoover death
11 Floyd H. Roberts VA 1879–19671938–1939 [Note 5] —— F. Roosevelt not confirmed
12 Armistead Mason Dobie VA 1881–19621939–1940—— F. Roosevelt elevation to 4th Cir.
13 Alfred D. Barksdale VA 1892–19721939–1957 [Note 6] —1957–1972 F. Roosevelt death
14 Roby C. Thompson VA 1898–19601957–19601958–1960— Eisenhower death
15 Theodore Roosevelt Dalton VA 1901–19891959–19761960–19711976–1989 Eisenhower death
16 Thomas J. Michie VA 1896–19731961–1973—— Kennedy death
17 Hiram Emory Widener Jr. VA 1923–20071969–19721971–1972— Nixon elevation to 4th Cir.
18 James Clinton Turk VA 1923–20141972–20021973–19932002–2014 Nixon death
19 Glen Morgan Williams VA 1920–20121976–1988—1988–2012 Ford death
20 James Harry Michael Jr. VA 1918–20051980–1995—1995–2005 Carter death
21 Jackson L. Kiser VA 1929–20201981–19971993–19971997–2020 Reagan death
22 Samuel Grayson Wilson VA 1949–present1990–20141997–2004— G.H.W. Bush retirement
25 Glen E. Conrad VA 1949–20212003–20172010–20172017–2021 G.W. Bush death
  1. ↑ Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment.
  2. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 13, 1825, confirmed by the Senate on January 3, 1826, and received commission the same day.
  3. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 29, 1840, confirmed by the Senate on February 17, 1840, and received commission the same day.
  4. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1901, confirmed by the Senate on December 18, 1901, and received commission the same day.
  5. ↑ Recess appointment; the Senate later rejected the appointment.
  6. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 11, 1940, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 1, 1940, and received commission on February 5, 1940.

Chief judges

Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.

A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.

When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

Succession of seats

U.S. Attorney and U.S. Marshal

The U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia represents the federal government in the court. As of August 20,2025 the acting United States attorney is Robert Tracci. [3]

The current U.S. marshal for the Western District of Virginia is Thomas L. Foster.

Former U.S. attorneys

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 388.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 U.S. District Courts of Virginia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center .
  3. 1 2 3 Jarvis, Brandon (August 20, 2025). "Gilbert resigned from United States attorney post". Virginia Political Newsletter. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  4. ↑ "The Political Graveyard: U.S. District Attorneys in Virginia".
  5. ↑ "Western District of Virginia | Christopher R. Kavanaugh Sworn in as United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia | United States Department of Justice". 12 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh Steps Down" (Press release). United States Attorney's Office of the Western District of Virginia. December 20, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2025.

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