United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Use American English Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. federal court

The Norfolk courthouse for the United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
The Richmond courthouse for the United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA; in case citations, E.D. Va.) is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its jurisdiction includes over 85 percent of the state's population, including the metropolitan areas of Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Richmond. Courthouses are located in Alexandria, Norfolk, Richmond, and Newport News.

Known widely as "the rocket docket", the Eastern District of Virginia has been the fastest federal trial court in the country for over 50 years.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Adopting the maxim that "justice delayed is justice denied" as its unofficial motto, the court aims to complete cases within one year, regardless of complexity. It schedules trials on weekends and holidays and maintains a virtual ban on continuance.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The court utilizes a unique "master docket" to expedite cases: rather than assign individual caseloads, when a motion is up for consideration or a trial is scheduled to start, the matter will be handled by whichever judge is available. Judges are assigned only for patent cases and in rare exceptions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

With a jurisdiction which includes the Pentagon, much of the Intelligence Community, and Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base, the EDVA is a fixture in U.S. national security law, handling a large portion of the nation's espionage and terrorism cases. More than 1 in 5 terrorism charges filed in the United States since 1995 were filed in the EDVA.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> One of the district's senior judges also presides over the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia wields one of the largest federal prosecutor offices in the country, staffed by over 300 attorneys and support staff.<ref name=":1" />

Appeals from the Eastern 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.

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, Template:USStat, on September 24, 1789.<ref name=S388>Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 388.</ref><ref name=fjcva>U.S. District Courts of Virginia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.</ref>

On February 13, 1801, the Judiciary Act of 1801, Template:USStat, 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.<ref name=fjcva /> Just over a year later, on March 8, 1802, the Judiciary Act of 1801 was repealed and Virginia became a single district again, Template:USStat, effective July 1, 1802.<ref name=fjcva />

The District of Virginia was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on February 4, 1819, by Template:USStat.<ref name=S388 /><ref name=fjcva /> 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 again form a single District of Virginia on June 11, 1864, by Template:USStat.<ref name=fjcva /> Congress again divided Virginia into the Eastern and Western Districts on February 3, 1871, by Template:USStat.<ref name=fjcva />

Courts at Richmond are located in the Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert R. Merhige Jr. Federal Courthouse,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> having previously been held in the historic Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse.

The Rocket Docket

The Eastern District of Virginia is the originator of the term "rocket docket", which has since been applied to various other courts at times. The culture of speed was embedded in the EDVA by two judges who served on the court in the 1960's: Albert V. Bryan Jr., who often ruled on cases on the spot after motions were argued, and Walter E. Hoffman, who was known for scheduling trials for weekends, holidays and reportedly once on Christmas Day.<ref name=":0" /> Current chief judge Mark S. Davis has said that the current bench is driven in part by a shared belief in the maxim that "justice delayed is justice denied", but that the "expectations of the [EDVA] bar" nevertheless ensure that the court continues to maintain its famed pace.<ref name=":0" />

Jurisdiction

Map of the United States District Courts in Virginia, showing the boundaries of the Eastern and Western Districts, and their divisions.

The Eastern District of Virginia court's jurisdiction covers slightly over six million people, comprising approximately 85% of the state's population. Its jurisdiction is grouped into four geographic divisions:

Alexandria Division

View of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at Alexandria, Virginia.

The Alexandria Division covers the counties of suburban Washington, D.C.: Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford, and includes the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Falls Church.

Richmond Division

The Richmond Division comprises the counties of Amelia, Brunswick, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Essex, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, James City, 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, as well as independent cities such as Colonial Heights and Fredericksburg.<ref>Template:Uscsub</ref>

Norfolk Division

Norfolk Division includes the counties of Accomack, Northampton, Isle of Wight, Southampton, and independent cities such as Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.

Newport News Division

The Newport News Division includes the counties of Gloucester, Mathews, York County, James City and cities such as Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg.

United States Attorney

The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was Erik S. Siebert,<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> serving as prosecution for criminal cases brought by the federal government, and representing the United States in civil cases in the court. The U.S. Attorney's office also manages the Project Safe Neighborhoods program within the district to reduce gun violence, and is involved with federal initiatives on drug trafficking, terrorism, cybercrime, and the prevention of elder care abuse.<ref>U.S. Attorney's Office – Eastern District of Virginia – Priorities</ref>

Current judges

Template:As of: Template:Start U.S. judgeship Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:U.S. judgeship row Current Template:End U.S. judgeship Current


Former judges

Template:Start U.S. judgeship Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:U.S. judgeship row Former Template:End U.S. judgeship Former Template:Reflist

Chief judges

Template:ChiefJudgeDC

Succession of seats

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Col-end Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Col-end Template:Col-begin Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Start U.S. judge succession Template:U.S. judge succession note Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:U.S. judge succession row Template:End U.S. judge succession Template:Col-break Template:Col-end

Notable cases

The Eastern District of Virginia has handled many notable cases, including:

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> No. 01-455-A (E.D. Va.)

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> charged with committing mass murder in Brno, Czech Republic in 2013

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

United States Attorneys

List of U.S. Attorneys since 1831:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

References

Template:Reflist

Template:United States 4th Circuit district judges Template:USDistCourts Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=United_States_District_Court_for_the_Eastern_District_of_Virginia&oldid=442949"