Patricia Tolliver Giles

Patricia Giles
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Assumed office
November 1, 2021
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byLiam O'Grady
Personal details
Born
Patricia Denise Tolliver

1973 (age 50–51)
West Point, New York, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Virginia (BA, JD)

Patricia Tolliver Giles (née Patricia Denise Tolliver, born 1973)[1] is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. She served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2003 to 2021 then became a judge.

Education

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Giles grew up in Hampton, Virginia.[2][3] Giles received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia in 1995 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1998.[4]

Career

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After graduating law school, Giles served as a law clerk for Judge Gerald Bruce Lee of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia from 1998 to 2000. From 2000 to 2003, she was an associate at Cooley Godward LLP. Her work included commercial cases in the areas of contracts, intellectual property, securities, and employment law. From 2003 to 2019, she served as an assistant United States attorney in the Major Crimes Unit. She was with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2003 to 2021, and served as managing assistant U.S. attorney. She also served on the Attorney General's Transnational Organized Crime Task Force MS-13 Subcommittee.[4]

Federal judicial service

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In 2017, Giles had been recommended among a list of individuals to fill the seat left vacant when Gerald Bruce Lee retired, but the Trump Administration nominated Rossie D. Alston Jr., who was confirmed.[5] In April 2021, Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine recommended Giles to be a United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia to the seat vacated by Judge Liam O'Grady.[6] On June 30, 2021, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Giles to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. On July 13, 2021, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Giles to the seat vacated by Judge Liam O'Grady, who assumed senior status on May 1, 2020.[7] On July 28, 2021, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[8] On September 23, 2021, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 17–5 vote.[9] On October 26, 2021, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 69–29 vote.[10] Her nomination was confirmed later that day by a 68–27 vote.[11] She received her judicial commission on November 1, 2021.[12]

Notable rulings

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In October 2024, Giles ruled that Virginia had illegally purged registered voters from the state's voter rolls too close to the upcoming November 2024 election, and she ordered the state to restore removed voters.[13] The next day, the United States Supreme Court issued an order staying her order pending further litigation, allowing the state to proceed with the removals.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Patricia Tolliver Giles
  2. ^ "Warner & Kaine Announce Eastern District of Virginia Judicial Recommendations". Federal Information & News Dispatch (Congressional Documents and Publications). April 27, 2021. Ms. Giles was raised in Hampton, Virginia, the daughter of a career military family.
  3. ^ Green, Frank (Oct 27, 2021). "Virginia gets two new federal judges; two new vacancies are expected". Richmond Times Dispatch. Retrieved Nov 4, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "President Biden Names Fifth Round of Judicial Nominees", White House, June 30, 2021 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ "VBA Recommends 9 for U.S. District Court, Eastern District". Virginia Bar Association. October 10, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  6. ^ "Warner & Kaine Announce Eastern District of Virginia Judicial Recommendations" (Press release). April 27, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  7. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, July 13, 2021
  8. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for July 28, 2021
  9. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – September 23, 2021" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
  10. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Patricia Tolliver Giles to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia)". United States Senate. October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  11. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Patricia Tolliver Giles, of Virginia, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia)". United States Senate. October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  12. ^ Patricia Tolliver Giles at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  13. ^ Wang, Hansi Lo (October 25, 2024). "A judge orders Virginia to restore registered voters purged too close to Election Day". NPR. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  14. ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-virginia-voter-rolls/
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
2021–present
Incumbent