---
title: "Jon M. Babineau | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/jon-m-babineau-va-portsmouth-general-district-court"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-07-26"
---

# Jon M. Babineau

Portsmouth General District Court · Judge

## Profile

- Court: Portsmouth 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

- Jon M. Babineau, Sr. is a Presiding Judge of the Portsmouth General District Court in Virginia’s 3rd Judicial District, serving since his election by the Virginia General Assembly on January 1, 2024
- In April 2025, the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts reviewed the Portsmouth General District Court’s operations for the 2023–2024 fiscal year and found no matters requiring written communication with court management, noting the Clerk’s cooperation
- In summary: Judge Jon M. Babineau, Sr. is a veteran attorney and current Presiding Judge of the Portsmouth General District Court
- Before becoming a judge, Babineau was an attorney in private practice specializing in criminal defense, including time as Managing Partner at Riddick Babineau in Norfolk, VA.

### Education

- B.S. in Criminal Justice and Political Science, Old Dominion University (1983)

### Additional information

- Licensing: Licensed in Virginia (1987), U.S. District Courts for Eastern & Western Districts of Virginia (1987), U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Court
- overseeing a broad range of cases in Virginia’s 3rd Judicial District, with a background in criminal defense and a long-standing judicial license across federal and state courts.