# Charles Purnell

Immigration Judge · [Richmond Immigration Adjudication Center](/kyj/court/va/eoir-virginia-richmond-immigration-adjudication-center)

Last updated October 25, 2026

## Charles Purnell at a glance

Current role

Immigration Judge

Court

[Richmond Immigration Adjudication Center](/kyj/court/va/eoir-virginia-richmond-immigration-adjudication-center)

Jurisdiction

Virginia · Federal

Judicial service

Active

## Immigration proceeding outcomes

No proceeding outcomes in this EOIR release are matched to this profile. Any separately published asylum statistics are available below.

Asylum decisions and other statistics

## Analytics

Published EOIR records include 522 asylum outcomes associated with this judge. Asylum was granted in 12 (2.3%) and denied in 510 (97.7%); 0 were other or procedural outcomes. [Explore analytics](#analytics)

## Biography

### Professional career

- From 2018 to 2022, he was assistant judge advocate general/chief judge for the Department of the Navy in Washington
- He also served as circuit judge of the Central Judicial Circuit in Norfolk (2014–2015) and chief judge of the Navy and Marine Corps Trial Judiciary (2015–2018)
- He advanced to leadership roles such as director of the Appellate Defense Division (2009–2010) and commanding officer of the Defense Service Office Southeast (2012–2014) in Norfolk, Virginia
- He then held the role of a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy from 1989 to 2006, holding positions at locations including the Washington Navy Yard, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the Pentagon, and Great Lakes, Illinois.
- Began his legal career as an associate at Watson, Ess, Marshall & Enggas in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1987 to 1989

### Education

- Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Fullerton in 1984, a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1987, and two Master of Laws degrees in 2001 from George Washington University Law School and Georgetown University Law School.

### Additional information

- Judge Purnell retired as a rear admiral in 2023 and is a member of the Missouri Bar.

## Sources

Identity source checked August 30, 2026 .

Biography sources checked October 11, 2026 .

### DOJ EOIR current immigration judge directory

Identity source · HTML · Source checked August 30, 2026

### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.1 - Delivery and Receipt

Courtwide source · HTML · Source checked July 30, 2026

### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 2.3 - Documents

### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.10 - Interpreters

### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.11 - Courtroom Decorum

### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.12 - Electronic Devices

### EOIR Policy Manual, Part II, Chapter 3.15 - Individual Calendar Hearing

### Find an Immigration Court and Access Internet-Based Hearings

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