# Superior Court of the District of Columbia

The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commonly referred to as DC Superior Court, is the trial court for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law, as well as family court, landlord and tenant, probate, tax and driving violations (no permit and DUI). All appeals of Superior Court decisions go to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals (though magistrate judge opinions are first appealed to a Superior Court Associate Judge).

## History

The first judicial systems in the new District of Columbia were established by the United States Congress in 1801. The Circuit Court of the District of Columbia (not to be confused with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which it later evolved into) was both a trial court of general jurisdiction and an appellate court, and it heard cases under both local and federal law. Congress also established justices of the peace and an orphans' court, which were combined in 1870 into a new local court called the Police Court. The Police Court had jurisdiction over misdemeanors (concurrently with the federal courts) as well as equity powers. In 1909, Congress converted the Police Court into the Municipal Court, which became a court of record with jury trials in 1921. In 1963, Congress again converted the Municipal Court into the Court of General Sessions. Its jurisdiction was broader, although the federal courts retained concurrent jurisdiction in criminal cases. Under the District of Columbia Court Reform and Criminal Procedure Act of 1970, the Court of General Sessions was combined with the Juvenile Court (established in 1906) and the D.C. Tax Court (established as the local Board of Tax Appeals in 1937) to form the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, a trial court of general and mostly exclusive jurisdiction for D.C.
The court consists of a chief judge and 61 associate judges. The court is assisted by the service of 24 magistrate judges and retired judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges. When a vacancy occurs on the court, the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission invites applications. It sends three candidates' names to the President of the United States, who sends one nomination to the U.S. Senate for advice and consent. If the Senate confirms a judge, they serve for a 15-year term, which is renewable. The Superior Court and the D.C. Court of Appeals, known collectively as the D.C. Courts, comprise the judicial branch of D.C.'s local government.
In criminal cases, the government is represented by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia or the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, depending on the nature and severity of the charges.

## Organizational units

* Civil Division – Civil actions and actions in equity; handles temporary restraining orders other than those involving domestic violence.
** Civil Actions Branch – Amount in controversy above $10,000 or cases requesting equitable relief such as declarative judgments, injunctive relief, writs of attachment
** Landlord and Tenant Branch – processes cases filed for possession of real property or violations of lease agreements. The Landlord-Tenant Resource Center can assist those who do not have an attorney. The Center is located in Room 115 of Court Building B (510 Fourth Street, NW) and is open weekdays, from 9:15 to noon.
** Small Claims and Conciliation Branch – Amount in controversy $10,000 and below. There is a Small Claims Resource Center to assist those without an attorney. It is located in Court Building B, Room 102, and is open from 9:15 to noon on Thursdays.
** Housing Conditions Calendar handles cases in which landlords are alleged to have not kept their rental property compliant with the D.C. Housing Code.
* Criminal Division – This division handles cases including misdemeanor, felony, and serious traffic offenses. The division also has Community Courts, which take a problem-solving approach to misdemeanor crimes, a drug court, and a mental health court.
* Family Court Operations Division – Family court
** Family Court Central Intake Center (CIC) – all cases are filed here.
** Domestic Relations Branch – divorce, legal separation, annulment, child custody, habeas corpus, and adoption
** Juvenile and Neglect Branch – juvenile delinquency, child abuse and neglect.
** Paternity and Child Support Branch – establishment of paternity, child support, and wage withholding
** Marriage Bureau – marriage licenses/records; applications to perform marriage ceremonies in the District of Columbia by authorized ministers and others
** Mental Health and Habilitation Branch – "hospitalization and continued treatment of persons adjudicated as mentally retarded or in need of mental health services"
** Counsel for Child Abuse and Neglect Branch is responsible for determining party eligibility for court-appointed counsel in child abuse and neglect proceedings and processes the appointment of attorneys for parties in these cases.
** Family Court Self Help Center – "provides legal information and assistance to self-represented parties in Family Court Cases."
** Family Treatment Court –"court-supervised, voluntary, comprehensive residential substance abuse treatment program for mothers/female caretakers whose children are the subject of a child neglect case."
* Domestic Violence Division – Domestic violence – Handles cases of violence by a family member or romantic partner, a person who shares living quarters, with whom one has a child in common, or between a former and current romantic partner. There are two intake centers: 1) the fourth floor of the Moultrie Courthouse, 2) the Medical Center at 1328 Southern Avenue, Suite 311. At either location, those seeking a protection order can meet with police/prosecutor, advocate, file a petition for a stay-away order and/or custody, seek the assistance of the Crime Victims Compensation Program, and talk with an advocate to develop a safety plan.
* Probate Division/Office of the Register of Wills – handles matters relating to estates of those who have died, guardianships and conservatorships for incapacitated adults, and other such matters.
** Probate Resource Center – those without an attorney can consult volunteer attorneys about probate matters at the Probate Resource Center in Room 316 of Court Building A (515 Fifth Street, NW) 8:30 to 3:30 Monday through Friday.
* Tax Division – Appeals and petitions for review of assessments made by the District of Columbia, as well as all proceedings brought by the District of Columbia for the imposition of criminal penalties according to the provisions of the District of Columbia Code
* Family Court Social Services Division – This division supervises juveniles who are awaiting trial on juvenile charges or who are on probation after pleading or being found involved in a crime.
* Multi-Door Dispute Resolution Division – Mediation and alternative dispute resolution services for those with court cases, as well as a Community Information Referral Program for disputes that have not yet resulted in a lawsuit being filed.
* Special Operations Division
** Jurors Office
** Child Care Center
** Judge-in-Chambers
** Office of Court Interpreting Services

## Active judges

As of January 24, 2025:
| Title | Judge | Born | First term began | Current term ends | Began senior status | First appointed by |
| Chief Judge | Milton C. Lee | 1960 | 2010 | 2025 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Neal E. Kravitz | 1957 | October 21, 1998 | 2028 | — | Clinton |
| Associate Judge | Erik Christian | 1960 | July 20, 2001 | 2031 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Maurice A. Ross | 1961 | July 27, 2001 | 2031 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Lynn Leibovitz | 1959 | September 21, 2001 | 2031 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Robert Rigsby | 1960 | October 11, 2002 | 2032 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Craig Iscoe | 1953 | January 5, 2004 | 2033 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Michael Ryan | 1957 | January 16, 2004 | 2034 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Laura Cordero | 1965 | September 2, 2005 | 2035 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Juliet J. McKenna | 1970 | December 16, 2005 | 2035 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Heidi Pasichow | 1955 | August 25, 2008 | 2038 | — | G.W. Bush |
| Associate Judge | Marisa Demeo | 1966 | May 10, 2010 | 2025 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Todd E. Edelman | 1968 | October 4, 2010 | 2025 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Maribeth Raffinan | 1970 | October 29, 2010 | 2025 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Jennifer A. Di Toro | 1967 | October 14, 2011 | 2026 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Yvonne M. Williams | 1972 | December 16, 2011 | 2026 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | John F. McCabe | 1958 | February 24, 2012 | 2027 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Danya Dayson | 1972 | April 27, 2012 | 2027 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Kimberley S. Knowles | 1970 | November 9, 2012 | 2027 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Michael Kenny O'Keefe | 1963 | June 20, 2013 | 2028 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Robert Okun | 1960 | November 8, 2013 | 2028 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Steven M. Wellner | 1959 | February 19, 2016 | 2031 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Robert A. Salerno | 1961 | March 11, 2016 | 2031 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Darlene M. Soltys | 1965 | March 18, 2016 | 2031 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Elizabeth Carroll Wingo | 1970 | August 26, 2016 | 2031 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Julie H. Becker | 1974 | September 3, 2016 | 2031 | — | Obama |
| Associate Judge | Jonathan Pittman | 1963 | April 4, 2018 | 2033 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | Kelly Higashi | 1962 | October 26, 2018 | 2033 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | Carmen G. McLean | 1976 | May 3, 2019 | 2034 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | Shana Frost Matini | 1970 | August 2019 | 2034 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | James Crowell | 1973 | August 2019 | 2034 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | Jason Park | 1979 | August 2019 | 2034 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | Rainey R. Brandt | 1966 | September 16, 2019 | 2034 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | Deborah J. Israel | 1964 | November 2019 | 2034 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | Andrea L. Hertzfeld | 1979 | November 2019 | 2034 | — | Trump |
| Associate Judge | D.W. Tunnage | 1968 | February 25, 2022 | 2037 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Sean C. Staples | 1969 | February 25, 2022 | 2037 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Kenia Seoane Lopez | 1974 | February 25, 2022 | 2037 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Ebony M. Scott | 1978 | February 25, 2022 | 2037 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Leslie Meek | 1965 | January 17, 2023 | 2038 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Errol Rajesh Arthur | 1972 | January 17, 2023 | 2038 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Veronica M. Sanchez | 1974 | January 17, 2023 | 2038 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Kendra D. Briggs | 1974 | January 17, 2023 | 2038 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Carl Ezekiel Ross | 1977 | January 17, 2023 | 2038 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Laura Crane | 1981 | January 17, 2023 | 2038 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Adrienne Jennings Noti | 1974 | March 25, 2024 | 2039 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Tanya Jones Bosier | 1973 | June 21, 2024 | 2039 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Judith E. Pipe | 1980 | June 21, 2024 | 2039 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Katherine E. Oler | 1972 | July 29, 2024 | 2039 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Danny Lam Nguyen | 1979 | July 29, 2024 | 2039 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | Charles J. Willoughby Jr. | 1978 | August 19, 2024 | 2039 | — | Biden |
| Associate Judge | seat vacant | — | — | — | — | — |
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| Senior Judge | Frederick H. Weisberg | 1944 | 1977 | — | March 22, 2018 | Carter |
| Senior Judge | Henry F. Greene | 1941 | May 1981 | — | 2004 | Reagan |
| Senior Judge | Robert I. Richter | 1947 | 1984 | — | October 2, 2014 | Reagan |
| Senior Judge | Robert S. Tignor | 1944 | 1984 | — | 1999 | Reagan |
| Senior Judge | Herbert B. Dixon Jr. | 1946 | 1985 | — | April 28, 2015 | Reagan |
| Senior Judge | Harold L. Cushenberry Jr. | 1950 | 1986 | — | December 16, 2015 | Reagan |
| Senior Judge | Michael Rankin | 1946 | 1986 | — | August 31, 2019 | Reagan |
| Senior Judge | Cheryl M. Long | 1949 | 1988 | — | December 4, 2009 | Reagan |
| Senior Judge | Kaye K. Christian | 1953 | 1990 | — | December 4, 2010 | G.H.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Patricia A. Wynn | 1945 | 1990 | — | 2002 | G.H.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Joan Zeldon | 1938 | 1990 | — | December 3, 2011 | G.H.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Zinora Mitchell-Rankin | 1956 | January 12, 1990 | — | February 29, 2012 | G.H.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Gregory Mize | 1946 | March 7, 1990 | — | March 12, 2002 | G.H.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Lee F. Satterfield | 1958 | 1992 | — | February 1, 2017 | G.H.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Russell F. Canan | 1950 | August 8, 1993 | — | February 3, 2018 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Zoe Bush | 1954 | July 18, 1994 | — | October 27, 2017 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Rhonda Reid Winston | 1954 | July 18, 1994 | — | September 30, 2016 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Judith Bartnoff | 1949 | August 1, 1994 | — | September 13, 2019 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Ronna Lee Beck | 1947 | May 26, 1995 | — | January 8, 2021 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Robert E. Morin | 1953 | July 30, 1996 | — | September 30, 2020 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | John M. Campbell | 1953 | November 11, 1997 | — | 2024 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Anita Josey-Herring | 1960 | November 11, 1997 | — | October 1, 2024 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Natalia Combs Greene | 1954 | October 21, 1998 | — | September 30, 2013 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Patricia A. Broderick | 1949 | November 3, 1998 | — | June 5, 2020 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Hiram E. Puig-Lugo | 1961 | June 6, 1999 | — | 2023 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Thomas J. Motley | 1954 | July 6, 2000 | — | October 27, 2017 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Gerald Fisher | 1950 | January 15, 2001 | — | August 31, 2022 | Clinton |
| Senior Judge | Jeanette Clark | 1948 | 2002 | — | March 18, 2017 | G.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Gregory E. Jackson | 1951 | 2005 | — | July 21, 2017 | G.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Jennifer M. Anderson | 1959 | October 27, 2006 | — | March 22, 2024 | G.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Anthony C. Epstein | 1952 | September 8, 2008 | — | January 11, 2025 | G.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Alfred S. Irving | 1959 | December 3, 2008 | — | January 24, 2025 | G.W. Bush |
| Senior Judge | Judith Anne Smith | 1963 | October 17, 2010 | — | 2022 | Obama |
| Senior Judge | Peter A. Krauthamer | 1957 | April 20, 2012 | — | 2024 | Obama |

## Vacancies and pending nominations

| Seat | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
| — | Carol Dalton | Retirement | January 30, 2020 | – | – |
| — | Wendell P. Gardner | Retirement | March 27, 2020 | – | – |
| — | Robert E. Morin | Retirement | September 30, 2020 | – | – |
| — | William W. Nooter | Retirement | February 25, 2023 | – | – |
| — | Peter A. Krauthamer | Retirement | June 30, 2023 | – | – |
| — | Hiram E. Puig-Lugo | Retirement | July 28, 2023 | – | – |
| — | Jennifer M. Anderson | Retirement | March 22, 2024 | – | – |
| — | Rupa Ranga Puttagunta | Resignation | April 12, 2024 | – | – |
| — | Anita Josey-Herring | Retirement | October 1, 2024 | – | – |
| — | Anthony C. Epstein | Retirement | January 11, 2025 | – | – |
| — | Alfred S. Irving | Retirement | January 24, 2025 | – | – |