--- title: "Saundra Brown Armstrong | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/saundra-brown-armstrong" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Saundra Brown Armstrong U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California · U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - State: California - Role: U.S. District Judge - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-08-16 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, N.D. California, 1991-2012 - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, 1989-1991 - Trial attorney, Public Integrity Section, U.S. Department of Justice, 1982-1983 - Deputy district attorney, Alameda County, CA, 1980-1982 - Deputy district attorney, Alameda County, CA, 1978-1979 ### Education - A.A. — Merritt College — 1967 - California State University, Fresno - University of San Francisco School of Law — J.D. ### Additional information - Judicial extern, California Court of Appeal, 1977-present - M.Div. — Pacific School of Religion — 2012 - Commissioner, U.S. Parole Commission, 1986-1989 - Commissioner, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 1983-1986 - Senior consultant, California Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice, 1979-1980 - Police officer, Oakland, CA, 1970-1977 - Date of birth: 1947-01-01 - Birth place: Oakland, CA ## 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 ### technology walkthrough Scope: courtwide The Northern District of California publishes guidance advising counsel to fully test their equipment and schedule a courtroom visit to test it before the proceeding. Evidence excerpt: The court highly recommends that counsel be familiar their equipment and fully test prior to using anything in the courtroom. ... schedule a visit in the courtroom to test everything before the proceeding. [Courtroom Technology](https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### specialized evidence software Scope: courtwide For e-evidence requiring specialized software, the Northern District of California publishes a process for at least two business days' advance notice through the Courtroom Deputy and approval by the judge and Court IT. Evidence excerpt: at least two (2) business days advance notice, counsel may request via the Courtroom Deputy that the specialized software be loaded by counsel prior to use of the system. If the judge and the court’s IT Department approve... [Courtroom Technology](https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### 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/1377261) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1377261) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1377261) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/126/saundra-brown-armstrong/) - [Courtroom Technology](https://cand.uscourts.gov/attorneys/courtroom-technology) - [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/126/saundra-brown-armstrong/) - [Wikidata: Saundra Brown Armstrong](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7427483) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/saundra-brown-armstrong", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/saundra-brown-armstrong", "name": "Saundra Brown Armstrong | KnowJudges", "description": "Saundra Brown Armstrong, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/saundra-brown-armstrong#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/saundra-brown-armstrong#judge", "name": "Saundra Brown Armstrong", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/saundra-brown-armstrong", "jobTitle": "U.S. District Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1377261", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/126/saundra-brown-armstrong/" ], "birthDate": "1947", "birthPlace": "Oakland, CA", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Merritt College" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Pacific School of Religion" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of San Francisco" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "California State University, Fresno" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of San Francisco School of Law" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "California", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/california" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Saundra Brown Armstrong", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/saundra-brown-armstrong" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 5y | 28 | 28 | 5.8 | 28 | | 10y | 357 | 357 | 6.6 | 357 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/