---
title: "Bryant L. Sugg | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bryant-l-sugg-va-newport-news-circuit-court"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-08-02"
---

# Bryant L. Sugg

Newport News Circuit Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Newport News Circuit Court
- State: Virginia
- Role: Judge
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-07-26

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Biography

### Professional career

- Notable Case: In 2017, a three‐judge panel led by Sugg ruled that the November 7, 2017 Virginia House of Delegates District 94 election was tied, with both candidates receiving 11,608 votes, and the winner to be determined by lot under Virginia law.
- Presiding judge on the 7th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia in Newport News, with a decades-long career in Virginia’s judicial system
- Early Career: Began as a judge in the 7th Judicial District Court of Virginia
- Appointments: Appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia to serve on the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission
- The Clerk’s Office can be reached at (757) 926‐8561
- Presiding Judge of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia, which covers Newport News and surrounding areas

### Education

- College of William & Mary Law School — J.D. (1989)
- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University — B.A.

### Additional information

- In a 2025 oral history interview, Sugg reflected on his family’s unique legacy as three generations of African American judges — himself, his father the late Hon. Irvin Douglas Sugg Sr., and his nephew Hon. David J. Whitted.
- Admitted to the Virginia Bar — 1991
- Assigned to Courtroom 4 at the Newport News Circuit Court and is listed in the official staff directory.
- He credited his father’s determination and refusal to accept limitations as a major influence on his own career.
- Birth place: South Boston

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### cell phones and electronic devices

Scope: statewide

Virginia courts commonly restrict cell phones and other electronic devices in court buildings; counsel and litigants should check the local court policy before arrival.

Evidence excerpt: Most courts in Virginia do not allow you to bring a cell phone or other electronic device into the building.

[Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Official roster](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Office of the Executive Secretary, Supreme Court of Virginia official judicial roster](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy)
- [Official biography source for Bryant L. Sugg](https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf)
- [Wikidata: Bryant L. Sugg](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138457305)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bryant-l-sugg-va-newport-news-circuit-court",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bryant-l-sugg-va-newport-news-circuit-court",
      "name": "Bryant L. Sugg | KnowJudges",
      "description": "Bryant L. Sugg, Newport News Circuit Court. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-08-02",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bryant-l-sugg-va-newport-news-circuit-court#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bryant-l-sugg-va-newport-news-circuit-court#judge",
      "name": "Bryant L. Sugg",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bryant-l-sugg-va-newport-news-circuit-court",
      "jobTitle": "Judge",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "Newport News Circuit Court"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.vacourts.gov/static/directories/judges_rule115.pdf"
      ],
      "birthPlace": "South Boston",
      "alumniOf": [
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University"
        },
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "William & Mary Law School"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "Virginia",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/virginia"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "Bryant L. Sugg",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/bryant-l-sugg-va-newport-news-circuit-court"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```