---
title: "Cheryl A. Eifert | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cheryl-a-eifert-9653"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Cheryl A. Eifert

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia · Magistrate

## Profile

- Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
- State: Virginia
- Role: Magistrate
- Service status: active
- Last verified: 2026-06-30

## Summary

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

## Biography

### Professional career

- Cheryl A. Eifert held the role of a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia from 2010 until her retirement in 2024

### Education

- Bachelor’s degree from Miami University
- Ohio State University College of Law — J.D.

### Additional information

- Magistrate, District Court, S.D. West Virginia, 2010-present
- Retired from the court in 2024.
- As of July 8, 2024, her official recusal list included numerous financial institutions and organizations, reflecting potential conflicts of interest.
- Appointed to a renewable eight‐year term in 2010 by the judges of the Southern District of West Virginia.
- Publicly available case data shows Eifert’s reasoning in certain motions, such as denying a request to keep environmental survey data confidential.
- She handled a variety of federal matters, including civil, criminal, bankruptcy, and administrative review cases.
- Her profile is now preserved as a historical record, and she no longer sits on the bench.
- She ruled that data prepared to meet regulatory compliance obligations — rather than developed for competitive advantage — does not qualify as protectable confidential commercial information, and that a general claim of competitive advantage without specific harm fails to justify a protective order.
- Before joining the federal bench, Eifert practiced civil litigation in Huntington, West Virginia.

## 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.courtlistener.com/person/9653/cheryl-a-eifert/)
- [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9653/cheryl-a-eifert/)
- [U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9653/cheryl-a-eifert/)
- [Cell Phone & Electronic Device Policy](https://selfhelp.vacourts.gov/node/30/cell-phone-electronic-device-policy)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9653/cheryl-a-eifert/)

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## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.
- [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.