---
title: "Charles N. Dorsey | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/charles-n-dorsey-va-roanoke-county-circuit-court"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-26"
---

# Charles N. Dorsey

Roanoke County Circuit Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Roanoke County 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.

## 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)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge of Virginia’s 23rd Judicial Circuit Court, serving since 2002 and currently holding a term through 2026
- Listed as a Presiding Judge for the Roanoke County Circuit Court

### Education

- Washington and Lee University School of Law — J.D. (1979)
- in Government and Sociology — University of Virginia — B.A. (1976)

### Additional information

- Current term expires in 2026.
- Re‐elected in 2010 and 2018 for eight‐year terms.
- Elected by the Virginia General Assembly in 2002.
- Judge Dorsey’s career includes service on the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court and active participation in the Roanoke Bar Association.
- For case or scheduling inquiries, the Clerk’s Office or Judge Dorsey’s secretary should be contacted.
- His judicial work has included notable rulings, such as ordering the removal of a Confederate statue in Roanoke.
- Judge Dorsey presides over the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia, which covers Roanoke City, Salem, and Roanoke County.
- The court handles both criminal and civil cases in the region.