--- title: "Richard A. Jones | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-a-jones" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Richard A. Jones U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington - State: Washington - Role: Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, W.D. Washington, 2007-present - Judge, Superior Court of the State of Washington, King County, 1994-2007 - State Judicial Service: Judge, King County Superior Court (1994–2007) - Before that, he spent 13 years as a judge on the King County Superior Court (1994–2007). - Assistant U.S. attorney, Western District of Washington, 1988-1994 - Deputy prosecuting attorney, King County (1977–1978) - King County Washington Prosecutor's Office, 1975-1978 ### Education - University of Washington School of Law — J.D. (1975) - B.P.A. — Seattle University — 1972 ### Additional information - Richard Anthony Jones is an American jurist who has served on the federal bench since 2007. - Assumed senior status on 5 September 2022. - He has received multiple awards such as the Charles E. Odegaard Award (2016) and the ABA Diversity Leadership Award (2019). - Federal Judicial Service: Appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in 2007. - Confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 4 October 2007. - Private practice, Seattle, WA, 1983-1988 - Staff attorney, Port of Seattle, WA, 1978-1983 - deputy prosecutor, 1977-1978 - community liaison officer, 1975-1977 - Born 1950 in Seattle. - Date of birth: 1950-01-01 - Presided over notable cases, including aspects of the Gary Ridgway (“Green River Killer”) prosecution. - Widely recognized for his community leadership, including long service with the YMCA of the USA and Seattle Kraken’s One Roof Foundation. - Birth place: Seattle, WA ## 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.fjc.gov/node/1392636) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392636) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1392636) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1666/richard-a-jones/) - [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/1666/richard-a-jones/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-a-jones", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-a-jones", "name": "Richard A. 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Jones", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/richard-a-jones" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 134 | 12 | 1.9 | 12 | | 2y | 310 | 84 | 2.6 | 84 | | 5y | 831 | 572 | 4.9 | 572 | | 10y | 2203 | 1940 | 6.2 | 1940 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. 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-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. 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.