History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

52 judges have served since Feb 4, 1819. Now: Jamar Kentrell Walker DElizabeth Wilson Hanes DMichael Stefan Nachmanoff DPatricia Tolliver Giles DRoderick Charles Young RDavid John Novak RRossie David Alston, Jr. RM[ary] Hannah Lauck DMark Steven Davis RLeonie M. Brinkema D.

Judges
52
26 R · 22 D · 2 N( · 1 JR · 1 W
Longest tenure
33 years
Leonie M. Brinkema
Current
3.6 years
Jamar Kentrell Walker, since Mar 3, 2023
history/court/district-court-for-the-eastern-district-of-virginiaEvery holder, newest first
+52
18201840186018801900192019401960198020002020St. George Tucker · 1819-02-04 – 1825-06-30 · None (reassignment)George Hay · 1826-03-31 – 1830-09-21 · Jeffersonian RepublicanPhilip Pendleton Barbour · 1830-12-16 – 1836-03-17 · DemocratPeter Vivian Daniel · 1836-04-19 – 1841-03-03 · DemocratJohn Young Mason · 1841-03-03 – 1844-03-23 · DemocratJames Dandridge Halyburton · 1844-06-15 – 1861-04-24 · WhigJohn Curtiss Underwood · 1864-01-25 – 1864-06-11 · RepublicanJohn Curtiss Underwood · 1871-02-03 – 1873-12-07 · None (reassignment)Robert William Hughes · 1874-01-14 – 1898-02-22 · RepublicanEdmund Waddill, Jr. · 1898-03-22 – 1921-06-09 · RepublicanLuther B. Way · 1931-03-04 – 1943-10-23 · RepublicanCharles Sterling Hutcheson · 1944-02-10 – 1959-09-01 · DemocratOren Ritter Lewis · 1960-05-31 – 1974-01-01 · RepublicanDavid Dortch Warriner · 1974-05-21 – 1986-03-17 · RepublicanJames Randolph Spencer · 1986-10-14 – 2014-03-25 · RepublicanM[ary] Hannah Lauck · 2014-06-10 – present · DemocratDuncan Lawrence Groner · 1921-06-02 – 1931-03-03 · RepublicanRobert Nelson Pollard · 1936-02-27 – 1947-04-22 · DemocratAlbert Vickers Bryan · 1947-06-05 – 1961-08-24 · DemocratJohn Decker Butzner, Jr. · 1962-06-20 – 1967-08-02 · DemocratRichard Boykin Kellam · 1967-08-25 – 1981-05-30 · DemocratJames Chris Cacheris · 1981-12-01 – 1998-03-30 · RepublicanGerald Bruce Lee · 1998-10-01 – 2017-09-30 · DemocratRossie David Alston, Jr. · 2019-06-12 – present · RepublicanWalter Edward Hoffman · 1954-07-15 – 1974-09-03 · RepublicanJoseph Calvitt Clarke, Jr. · 1974-12-20 – 1991-07-31 · RepublicanHenry Coke Morgan, Jr. · 1992-04-13 – 2004-02-08 · RepublicanWalter DeKalb Kelley, Jr. · 2004-08-16 – 2008-05-16 · RepublicanMark Steven Davis · 2008-06-23 – present · RepublicanJohn Ashton MacKenzie · 1967-08-25 – 1985-11-30 · DemocratThomas Selby Ellis, III · 1987-08-06 – 2007-04-01 · RepublicanLiam O'Grady · 2007-07-11 – 2020-05-01 · RepublicanRoderick Charles Young · 2020-09-29 – present · RepublicanRobert Reynold Merhige, Jr. · 1967-08-25 – 1986-11-30 · DemocratRebecca Beach Smith · 1989-10-25 – 2019-08-01 · RepublicanDavid John Novak · 2019-10-17 – present · RepublicanAlbert Vickers Bryan, Jr. · 1971-07-29 – 1991-12-01 · RepublicanRobert E. Payne · 1992-05-13 – 2007-05-07 · RepublicanAnthony John Trenga · 2008-10-14 – 2021-06-01 · RepublicanPatricia Tolliver Giles · 2021-11-01 – present · DemocratRichard Leroy Williams · 1980-09-30 – 1992-05-01 · DemocratLeonie M. Brinkema · 1993-10-20 – present · DemocratRobert George Doumar · 1981-12-03 – 1996-04-30 · RepublicanJerome B. Friedman · 1997-11-12 – 2010-11-30 · DemocratJohn Adrian Gibney, Jr. · 2010-12-17 – 2021-11-01 · DemocratMichael Stefan Nachmanoff · 2021-11-02 – present · DemocratClaude M. Hilton · 1985-07-11 – 2005-12-31 · RepublicanArenda Lauretta Wright Allen · 2011-05-12 – 2026-05-13 · DemocratRaymond Alvin Jackson · 1993-11-22 – 2021-11-23 · DemocratElizabeth Wilson Hanes · 2022-08-05 – present · DemocratHenry E. Hudson · 2002-08-02 – 2018-06-01 · RepublicanJamar Kentrell Walker · 2023-03-03 – present · Democrat
Jamar Kentrell Walker D
Mar 3, 2023 – present · 3.6 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 52–41
Elizabeth Wilson Hanes D
Aug 5, 2022 – present · 4.2 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 59–37
Michael Stefan Nachmanoff D
Nov 2, 2021 – present · 5 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 52–46
Patricia Tolliver Giles D
Nov 1, 2021 – present · 5 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 68–27
Roderick Charles Young R
Sep 29, 2020 – present · 6 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 93–2
David John Novak R
Oct 17, 2019 – present · 7 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 89–3
Rossie David Alston, Jr. R
Jun 12, 2019 – present · 7.3 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 75–20
M[ary] Hannah Lauck D
Jun 10, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 90–0
Arenda Lauretta Wright Allen D
May 12, 2011 – May 13, 2026 · 15 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status May 13, 2026 · confirmed 96–0
John Adrian Gibney, Jr. D
Dec 17, 2010 – Nov 1, 2021 · 11 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Nov 1, 2021
Anthony John Trenga R
Oct 14, 2008 – Jun 1, 2021 · 13 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jun 1, 2021
Mark Steven Davis R
Jun 23, 2008 – present · 18 years · appointed by George W. Bush · confirmed 94–0
Liam O'Grady R
Jul 11, 2007 – May 1, 2020 · 13 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status May 1, 2020 · confirmed 88–0
Walter DeKalb Kelley, Jr. R
Aug 16, 2004 – May 16, 2008 · 3.7 years · appointed by George W. Bush · confirmed 94–0
Henry E. Hudson R
Aug 2, 2002 – Jun 1, 2018 · 16 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jun 1, 2018
Gerald Bruce Lee D
Oct 1, 1998 – Sep 30, 2017 · 19 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Jerome B. Friedman D
Nov 12, 1997 – Nov 30, 2010 · 13 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Nov 30, 2010
Raymond Alvin Jackson D
Nov 22, 1993 – Nov 23, 2021 · 28 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Nov 23, 2021
Leonie M. Brinkema D
Oct 20, 1993 – present · 33 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Robert E. Payne R
May 13, 1992 – May 7, 2007 · 15 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status May 7, 2007
Henry Coke Morgan, Jr. R
Apr 13, 1992 – Feb 8, 2004 · 12 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Feb 8, 2004
Rebecca Beach Smith R
Oct 25, 1989 – Aug 1, 2019 · 30 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Aug 1, 2019
Thomas Selby Ellis, III R
Aug 6, 1987 – Apr 1, 2007 · 20 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Apr 1, 2007
James Randolph Spencer R
Oct 14, 1986 – Mar 25, 2014 · 27 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Mar 25, 2014
Claude M. Hilton R
Jul 11, 1985 – Dec 31, 2005 · 20 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Dec 31, 2005
Robert George Doumar R
Dec 3, 1981 – Apr 30, 1996 · 14 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Apr 30, 1996
James Chris Cacheris R
Dec 1, 1981 – Mar 30, 1998 · 16 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Mar 30, 1998
Richard Leroy Williams D
Sep 30, 1980 – May 1, 1992 · 12 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status May 1, 1992
Joseph Calvitt Clarke, Jr. R
Dec 20, 1974 – Jul 31, 1991 · 17 years · appointed by Gerald Ford · senior status Jul 31, 1991
David Dortch Warriner R
May 21, 1974 – Mar 17, 1986 · 12 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
Albert Vickers Bryan, Jr. R
Jul 29, 1971 – Dec 1, 1991 · 20 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Dec 1, 1991
Richard Boykin Kellam D
Aug 25, 1967 – May 30, 1981 · 14 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status May 30, 1981
John Ashton MacKenzie D
Aug 25, 1967 – Nov 30, 1985 · 18 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Nov 30, 1985
Robert Reynold Merhige, Jr. D
Aug 25, 1967 – Nov 30, 1986 · 19 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Nov 30, 1986
John Decker Butzner, Jr. D
Jun 20, 1962 – Aug 2, 1967 · 5.1 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy
Oren Ritter Lewis R
May 31, 1960 – Jan 1, 1974 · 14 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Jan 1, 1974
Walter Edward Hoffman R
Jul 15, 1954 – Sep 3, 1974 · 20 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Sep 3, 1974
Albert Vickers Bryan D
Jun 5, 1947 – Aug 24, 1961 · 14 years · appointed by Harry S Truman
Charles Sterling Hutcheson D
Feb 10, 1944 – Sep 1, 1959 · 16 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Sep 1, 1959
Robert Nelson Pollard D
Feb 27, 1936 – Apr 22, 1947 · 11 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt · senior status Apr 22, 1947
Luther B. Way R
Mar 4, 1931 – Oct 23, 1943 · 13 years · appointed by Herbert Hoover
Duncan Lawrence Groner R
Jun 2, 1921 – Mar 3, 1931 · 9.7 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding
Edmund Waddill, Jr. R
Mar 22, 1898 – Jun 9, 1921 · 23 years · appointed by William McKinley
Robert William Hughes R
Jan 14, 1874 – Feb 22, 1898 · 24 years · appointed by Ulysses Grant · confirmed 39–11
John Curtiss Underwood N(
Feb 3, 1871 – Dec 7, 1873 · 2.8 years · appointed by None (reassignment)
John Curtiss Underwood R
Jan 25, 1864 – Jun 11, 1864 · 5 months · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
James Dandridge Halyburton W
Jun 15, 1844 – Apr 24, 1861 · 17 years · appointed by John Tyler
John Young Mason D
Mar 3, 1841 – Mar 23, 1844 · 3.1 years · appointed by Martin Van Buren
Peter Vivian Daniel D
Apr 19, 1836 – Mar 3, 1841 · 4.9 years · appointed by Andrew Jackson
Philip Pendleton Barbour D
Dec 16, 1830 – Mar 17, 1836 · 5.3 years · appointed by Andrew Jackson · confirmed 36–1
George Hay JR
Mar 31, 1826 – Sep 21, 1830 · 4.5 years · appointed by John Quincy Adams · confirmed 31–9
St. George Tucker N(
Feb 4, 1819 – Jun 30, 1825 · 6.4 years · appointed by None (reassignment)

Dates are from the Federal Judicial Center (commission to senior status or departure). Consecutive terms of one person are merged.