---
title: "Jacqueline F. Wardtalevi | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jacqueline-f-wardtalevi-va-roanoke-county-general-district-court"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-26"
---

# Jacqueline F. Wardtalevi

Roanoke County General District Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Roanoke County 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

- Jacqueline F. Ward Talevi is the Chief Judge of the General District Court for Virginia’s 23rd Judicial District, serving since 1996 and re‐elected in 2015 and 2021 for terms through 2027
- In 2019, Judge Talevi was named to the Inaugural List of Influential Women of Law by Virginia Lawyers Weekly for her work on behavioral health dockets and other innovative sentencing programs
- Also the Chief Judge of the General District Court for that district

### Education

- Washington and Lee University School of Law — J.D. (1983)
- in Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University — B.S. (1976)

### Additional information

- Created the therapeutic docket in Roanoke Valley in 2011, offering sentencing alternatives for individuals with mental health issues.
- Admitted to the Virginia Bar (1983) and West Virginia Bar (1989).
- Served on the Problem Solving Court Commission and the Virginia Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Center of Behavioral Health and Justice.
- Co‐author of the Bench Book for General District Court Judges.
- Lecturer for the Virginia State Bar Association and the Supreme Court of Virginia on criminal law, professionalism, and judicial training.
- Judge Talevi presides over the General District Court for the 23rd Judicial District, which includes Roanoke City, Salem, and Roanoke County.
- Member of the Mental Health Task Force of the Roanoke Valley, the Court Community Corrections Advisory Board, and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Committee.