---
title: "Heather P. Ferguson | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/heather-p-ferguson-va-roanoke-city-juvenile-and-domestic-relations-district-court"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-26"
---

# Heather P. Ferguson

Roanoke City Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Roanoke City Juvenile and Domestic Relations 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

- Prior career: Assistant City Attorney, Roanoke County (2002–2021)

### Education

- Wake Forest University School of Law — J.D. (1996)

### Additional information

- Elected: February 23, 2021, by the Virginia General Assembly
- Early legal work: Legal aid services in Roanoke and Charlottesville
- focusing on child welfare Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, Franklin County
- handling juvenile and domestic relations cases
- Court contacts: Roanoke City: +1 (540) 853‐2389 Roanoke County: +1 (540) 387‐6160 Salem: +1 (540) 375‐3044
- Judge Ferguson has been recognized for advocating for children’s voices in the courtroom.
- Directly hearing from children in cases affecting them, rather than only through guardians ad litem
- Reducing the number of children in foster care and improving outcomes
- She has led initiatives, alongside Judge Frank Rogers, to improve foster care and child abuse/neglect case handling, including pilot programs through the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
- In summary: Judge Heather P. Ferguson is a veteran attorney turned judge, with a strong background in child welfare law and a current judicial focus on ensuring children’s rights and voices are central in juvenile and domestic relations cases in central Virginia.
- Community roles: Board member, Susan G. Komen Foundation; member, Local Government Attorneys of Virginia.