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Robert Ballou
2023 - Present
2
Robert S. Ballou is judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. he was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on July 13, 2022, and confirmed by the United States Senate on March 7, 2023, by a vote of 59 - 37.[1][2][3][4] Ballou was one of 235 Article III judges nominated by President Joe Biden (D) and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here.
Ballou was a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.[1]
The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Article III)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden
On July 13, 2022, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Ballou to the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Ballou's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[5] The president renominated Ballou on January 23, 2023.[3] Ballou received commission on March 9, 2023.[6]To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Robert Ballou |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 237 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: July 13, 2022
|
| ABA Rating: Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: November 15, 2022
|
| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: December 8, 2022 (initial nomination)
|
| Confirmed: March 7, 2023
|
| Vote: 59 - 37
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Ballou by a vote of 59 - 37 on March 7, 2023.[3] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Robert Ballou confirmation vote (March 7, 2023) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
45 | 0 | 3 | ||||||
 Republican |
11 | 37 | 1 | ||||||
 Independent |
3 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 59 | 37 | 4 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
In a committee hearing on February 9, 2023, Ballou was reported to the full Senate, after a 16-5 committee vote.[4] Click here for a list of other nominees awaiting a committee hearing.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Ballou's nomination on November 15, 2022. Ballou was reported to the full Senate on December 8, 2022, after a 16-6 committee vote.[7]
Nomination
President Biden nominated Ballou on July 13, 2022, to replace Judge James Jones, who assumed senior status on August 30, 2021.[5]
Ballou's nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2023.[8] The president renominated Ballou on January 23, 2023.[3]
The American Bar Association (ABA) rated Ballou Well Qualified.[9] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (Magistrate, 2011-present)
Ballou began serving as a U.S. magistrate judge for the Western District of Virginia in 2011.[1]
Biography
Education
Ballou obtained a B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1984 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia in 1987.[1]
Professional career
- 2023-present: Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- 2011-2023: Federal magistrate judge, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- 1992-2011: Partner, Johnson, Ayers & Matthews in Roanoke, Virginia
- 1988-1991: Associate, Christian, Barton, Epps, Brent & Chappell in Richmond, Virginia
- 1987-1988: Law clerk to Judge Peter Beer, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana[1]
About the court
| Western District of Virginia |
|---|
| Fourth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 4 |
| Judges: 4 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Elizabeth K. Dillon |
| Active judges: Robert S. Ballou, Thomas T. Cullen, Elizabeth K. Dillon, Jasmine Yoon Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia is one of 94 United States district courts. 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.
The Western 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.
There are seven court divisions, each covering the following counties and cities:
The Abingdon Division, covering Buchanan, Russell, Smyth, Tazewell and Washington counties, in addition to the cities of Bristol.
The Big Stone Gap Division, covering Dickenson, Lee, Scott and Wise counties, in addition to the cities of Norton.
The Charlottesville Division, covering Albemarle, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange and Rappahannock counties, in addition to the cities of Charlottesville.
The Danville Division, covering Charlotte, Halifax, Henry, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties, in addition to the cities of Danville, Martinsville and South Boston.
The Harrisonburg Division, covering Augusta, Bath, Clarke, Frederick, Highland, Page, Rockingham and Shenandoah and Warren counties, in addition to the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.
The Lynchburg Division, covering Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Buckingham, Campbell, Cumberland and Rockbridge counties, in addition to the cities of Bedford, Buena Vista, Lexington and Lynchburg.
The Roanoke Division, covering Alleghany, Bland, Botetourt, Carroll, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, and Wythe counties, in addition to the cities of Clifton Forge, Covington, Galax, Radford, Roanoke and Salem.
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The White House, "President Biden Names Twenty-Second Round of Judicial Nominees," July 13, 2022
- ↑ Committee on the Judiciary, "Nominations," accessed November 18, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Congress.gov, "PN166 — Robert Stewart Ballou — The Judiciary," accessed January 23, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Committee on the Judiciary, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 9, 2023," accessed February 9, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Congress.gov, "PN2372 — Robert Stewart Ballou — The Judiciary," accessed July 18, 2022
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Ballou, Robert Stewart," March 9, 2023
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 8, 2022," December 8, 2022
- ↑ Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑ American Bar Association, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 117th Congress," last updated December 12, 2022
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Jones |
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia 2011 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned in 2025 | |||
| Commissioned in 2024 |
John Kazen • John Russell • Margaret Garnett • Cristal Brisco • Jacquelyn Austin • Gretchen Hess Lund • Micah Smith • Joshua Kolar • Karoline Mehalchick • Kirk Sherriff • Lisa Wang • David Leibowitz • Jacqueline Becerra • Julie Sneed • Melissa Damian • Kelly H. Rankin • Nicole Berner • Sunil Harjani • Leon Schydlower • Ernesto Gonzalez • Susan Bazis • Robert White • Ann Marie McIff Allen • Eumi Lee • Krissa Lanham • Eric Schulte • Camela Theeler • Angela Martinez • Jasmine Yoon • Nancy Maldonado • Meredith Vacca • Georgia Alexakis • Joseph Saporito • Amy Baggio • Stacey Neumann • Mary Kay Lanthier • Adam Abelson • Laura Provinzino • Mary Kay Costello • Dena Coggins • Kevin Ritz • Shanlyn A. S. Park • Byron Conway • Jeannette Vargas • Michelle Williams Court • Jonathan E. Hawley • April Perry • Mustafa Kasubhai • Sarah Russell • Amir Ali • Rebecca Pennell • Anthony Brindisi • Elizabeth Coombe • Cynthia Valenzuela • Anne Hwang • Brian Murphy • Noël Wise • Sanket Bulsara • Tiffany Johnson • Sparkle Sooknanan • Gail Weilheimer • Embry Kidd • Melissa DuBose • Sharad Desai • Serena R. Murillo • Benjamin Cheeks • Sarah Davenport | ||
| Commissioned in 2023 | Kai Scott • Tamika Montgomery-Reeves • Margaret R. Guzman • Daniel Calabretta • Matthew Garcia • DeAndrea G. Benjamin • Cindy Chung • Adrienne Nelson • Lindsay Jenkins • Gina Méndez-Miró • Araceli Martínez-Olguín • Jamar Walker • Ana Reyes • Jamal Whitehead • Gordon Gallagher • Matthew Brookman• Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons • Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler • Jonathan Grey• Colleen Lawless • Arun Subramanian • Jessica Clarke • Robert Kirsch • Michael Farbiarz • Anthony Johnstone • Orelia Merchant • Wesley Hsu • Bradley Garcia • LaShonda A. Hunt • Nancy Gbana Abudu • Amanda Brailsford • Darrel Papillion • Jeremy Daniel • Hernan D. Vera • Julie Rikelman • Nusrat Choudhury • P. Casey Pitts • Myong Joun • Kymberly Evanson • Tiffany Cartwright • Rachel Bloomekatz • Natasha Merle • Dale Ho • Philip Hadji • Rita Lin • Brendan Hurson • Vernon D. Oliver • Matthew Maddox • Julia Munley • Brandy McMillion • Susan DeClercq • Julia Kobick • Ramon Reyes, Jr. • Ana de Alba • Kenly Kiya Kato • Mónica Ramírez Almadani • Jeffrey M. Bryan • Jamel Semper • Irma Ramirez • Richard Federico • Loren AliKhan • Brandon Long • Jerry Edwards Jr.• Sara Hill • Joseph Laroski | ||
| Commissioned in 2022 |
David Herrera Urias • Gabriel Sanchez • Holly Thomas • Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong • David Ruiz • Charles Fleming • Bridget Brennan • Leonard Stark • Alison J. Nathan • John Chun • Julie Rubin • Jacqueline Scott Corley • Ruth Bermudez Montenegro • Victoria Calvert • Georgette Castner • Anne Traum • Cristina Silva • Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) • Sarah Geraghty • Hector Gonzalez • Fred Slaughter • Jennifer Rochon • Robert Huie • Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci • Jeffery P. Hopkins | ||
| Commissioned in 2021 |
Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi • Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley • Florence Pan • Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn • Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams • Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens • Michael Nachmanoff • Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston • Stephen Locher • Charlotte Sweeney • Nina Nin-Yuen Wang • Arianna Freeman • Jerry Blackwell | ||
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
