District Court of the Virgin Islands
Encyclopedia
The District Court of the United States Virgin Islands (in case citation
s, D.V.I.) is a United States territorial court
with jurisdiction over the United States Virgin Islands
, a United States territory
and more specifically an insular area
that is an unincorporated organized territory. The court sits in both St. Croix
and St. Thomas
. Unlike United States district court
s, judges on the District Court of the Virgin Islands do not have life tenure
, as the court is not an Article III court
. Instead, the court is an Article I court
, created pursuant to Congress'
s Article I
powers. Appeals of the court's decisions are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
in Philadelphia.
The current Judges in the District Court of the Virgin Islands are:
Case citation
Case citation is the system used in many countries to identify the decisions in past court cases, either in special series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a 'neutral' form which will identify a decision wherever it was reported...
s, D.V.I.) is a United States territorial court
United States territorial court
The United States territorial courts are tribunals established in territories of the United States by the United States Congress, pursuant to its power under Article Four of the United States Constitution, the Territorial Clause...
with jurisdiction over the United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
, a United States territory
United States territory
United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters including all U.S. Naval carriers. The United States has traditionally proclaimed the sovereign rights for exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing its...
and more specifically an insular area
Insular area
An insular area is a United States territory, that is neither a part of one of the fifty U.S. states nor the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States...
that is an unincorporated organized territory. The court sits in both St. Croix
Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Formerly the Danish West Indies, they were sold to the United States by Denmark in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies of...
and St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
. Unlike United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
s, judges on the District Court of the Virgin Islands do not have life tenure
Life tenure
A life tenure or service during good behaviour is a term of office that lasts for the office holder's lifetime , unless the office holder is removed from office for cause under extraordinary circumstances or chooses to resign.Judges and members of some upper chambers have life tenure...
, as the court is not an Article III court
Article I and Article III tribunals
In the United States, the American legal system includes both state courts and United States federal courts. The federal tribunals may be an Article III tribunal or another adjudicative body classified as an Article I or an Article IV tribunal...
. Instead, the court is an Article I court
Article I and Article III tribunals
In the United States, the American legal system includes both state courts and United States federal courts. The federal tribunals may be an Article III tribunal or another adjudicative body classified as an Article I or an Article IV tribunal...
, created pursuant to Congress'
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
s Article I
Article One of the United States Constitution
Article One of the United States Constitution describes the powers of Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. The Article establishes the powers of and limitations on the Congress, consisting of a House of Representatives composed of Representatives, with each state gaining or...
powers. Appeals of the court's decisions are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:* District of Delaware* District of New Jersey...
in Philadelphia.
The current Judges in the District Court of the Virgin Islands are:
- The Honorable George W. Cannon (Magistrate JudgeUnited States magistrate judgeIn the United States federal courts, magistrate judges are appointed to assist United States district court judges in the performance of their duties...
- St. Croix Division) - The Honorable Ruth Miller (Magistrate Judge - St. Thomas Division)
- The Honorable Raymond L. Finch (SeniorSenior statusSenior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
District Judge - St. Croix Division) - The Honorable Curtis V. Gomez (District Judge - St. Thomas Division).
- The Honorable Wilma A. Lewis (District Judge - St. Croix Division)
See also
- Politics of the United States Virgin IslandsPolitics of the United States Virgin IslandsPolitics of the United States Virgin Islands takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic dependency, whereby the Governor is the head of the local government, and of a multi-party system...
- Courts of the United StatesCourts of the United StatesCourts of the United States include both the United States federal courts, comprising the judicial branch of the federal government of the United States and state and territorial courts of the individual U.S...
- List of United States federal courthouses in the Virgin Islands