--- title: "Ivan D. Davis | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ivan-d-davis-virginia-us-magistrate" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # Ivan D. Davis U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia · U.S. Magistrate Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia - State: Virginia - Role: U.S. Magistrate Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-29 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - First Assistant Federal Defender, Federal Public Defender's Office - Eastern District of Virginia, 2002-03–2008-09 - Prior to his judicial appointment, Davis held a position as First Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2002 until 2008. - Assistant Federal Defender, Federal Public Defender's Office - Eastern District of Virginia, 2000–2002-03 - Full-time U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Alexandria Division of the Eastern District of Virginia - Long-serving magistrate judge with extensive experience in federal criminal defense and judicial administration ### Education - Howard University School of Law in — J.D. (1987) - Bachelor of Arts in American Government from the University of Virginia in 1984 ### Additional information - Originally appointed on September 22, 2008, and his current term was renewed to begin September 22, 2024, extending for eight more years. - Magistrate, District Court, E.D. Virginia, 2008-present - Practitioner, Solo Practitioner, 1992–1994 - Practitioner, King & Spalding, 1990–1992 - Staff Attorney, Securities and Exchange Commission, 1987–1990 - J.D. — Howard Univ. — 1987 - B.A. — Univ. of Virginia — 1984 — Government - As a magistrate judge, Davis handles a variety of matters including criminal duty cases, referred discovery, and consent cases. - Much of his work is conducted through text-only entries on the docket rather than published opinions. - The courthouse enforces strict security protocols, including screening of electronic devices and photo identification requirements for visitors. - Publicly available evaluations indicate mixed perceptions of Judge Davis. - On The Robing Room, he has an average rating of 3.7, with comments noting a strict and sometimes abrasive courtroom demeanor. - Recognized for his involvement in civil and criminal matters, though much of his work is procedural and administrative in nature. - He has been involved in high-profile cases, such as overseeing discovery disputes involving the U.S. Department of Justice, where he emphasized compliance with legal procedures and fairness in document production. - Judge Davis presides in the Alexandria Division of the Eastern District of Virginia, located at the Albert V. Bryan U.S. Courthouse, 401 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314. - His career reflects a commitment to public service, legal expertise, and adherence to procedural fairness in the Eastern District of Virginia. - His legal education and early career in public defense provided a strong foundation for his work on the federal bench. - Birth place: Hampton, VA ## 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 ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=35) - [Official roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=35) - [U.S. Courts judicial profile or roster](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/cjra_na_0331.2026.pdf#page=35) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9616/ivan-d-davis/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9616/ivan-d-davis/) - [BR/MAG Judge Database: Ivan D. Davis](https://legaldatalab.law.virginia.edu/brmag-judges/brmag-judges.json) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9616/ivan-d-davis/) - [BR/MAG Judge Database: Ivan D. Davis](https://legaldatalab.law.virginia.edu/brmag-judges/brmag-judges.json) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ivan-d-davis-virginia-us-magistrate", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/ivan-d-davis-virginia-us-magistrate", "name": "Ivan D. Davis | KnowJudges", "description": "Ivan D. Davis, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. 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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.