---
title: "Derek A. Wagner | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/derek-a-wagner-va-chesapeake-general-district-court"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-26"
---

# Derek A. Wagner

Chesapeake General District Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Chesapeake General District 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

- Before his judicial appointment, Wagner was a Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Chesapeake Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for over two decades, from 2001 to the present.
- Judge of the First Judicial District of Virginia’s General District Court, elected in 2025 for a six‐year term beginning May 1, 2025
- In the 2025 Virginia General Assembly session, both the Senate and House of Delegates nominated Derek A. Wagner of Chesapeake to be elected as a General District Court judge for the First Judicial District
- Listed among the court’s judges alongside Hon. Michael R. Katchmark (Chief Judge), Hon. Erin L. Evans‐Bedois, and Hon. Tanya L. Lomax

### Education

- Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law (1994–1997).

### Additional information

- The Virginia Bar Association confirmed that lawmakers elected him for a six‐year term starting May 1, 2025.
- One of the judges in the Chesapeake General District Court, part of the 1st Judicial District of Virginia.
- The General District Court handles a wide range of cases, including civil matters, traffic offenses, and certain criminal cases.