Elizabeth K. Dillon
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Short description|American judge (born 1960)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Elizabeth K. Dillon
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Elizabeth Dillon (cropped).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Dillon in 2014
| office = Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
| term_start = July 4, 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Michael F. Urbanski
| successor =
| office1 = Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
| term_start1 = December 19, 2014
| term_end1 =
| appointer1 = Barack Obama
| predecessor1 = Samuel Grayson Wilson
| successor1 =
| pronunciation =
| birth_name = Elizabeth Kay Hillman
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|12|14}}
| birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
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| residence = Roanoke, Virginia
| education = Lenoir–Rhyne University (AB)
Wake Forest University (JD)
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}}
Elizabeth Kay Dillon (née Hillman; born December 14, 1960) is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.
Biography
Dillon received an Artium Baccalaureus degree, magna cum laude, in 1983 from Lenoir–Rhyne University. She received a Juris Doctor in 1986 from Wake Forest University School of Law. She began her legal career at Woods, Rogers & Hazlegrove, PLC, from 1986 to 1998. From 1999 to 2000, she was a shareholder at Guynn & Dillon, PC, a predecessor to her later law firm. From 2000 to 2003, she worked as an assistant city attorney for the City of Roanoke. From 2003 to 2014, she had been a shareholder at Guynn, Memmer & Dillon, PC, where she handled both trial and appellate matters in federal and state courts.{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/18/president-obama-nominates-seven-serve-united-states-district-courts|work=whitehouse.gov|title=President Obama Nominates Seven to Serve on the United States District Courts|via=National Archives|date=September 18, 2014}}{{FJC Bio|nid=1394741|inline=yes}}
=Federal judicial service=
On September 18, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Dillon to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, to the seat vacated by Judge Samuel Grayson Wilson, who retired on July 31, 2014.{{cite web|url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/18/presidential-nominations-and-withdrawal-sent-senate-0|work=whitehouse.gov|title=Presidential Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate|via=National Archives|date=September 18, 2014}} She received a hearing before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on November 13, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/nominations-2014-11-13|title=United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|website=www.judiciary.senate.gov}} On December 11, 2014, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%2012-11-14.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – December 11, 2014|publisher=}} On December 13, 2014 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed a motion to invoke cloture on the nomination. On December 16, 2014, Reid withdrew his cloture motion on Dillon's nomination, and the Senate proceeded to vote to confirm Dillon by voice vote. She received her federal judicial commission on December 19, 2014. She became the chief judge on July 4, 2024, after Michael F. Urbanski assumed senior status.
= Mountain Valley Pipeline =
Dillon has been criticized for several decisions surrounding the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Southwest Virginia. On May 4, 2018, Dillon found 61 year old Theresa 'Red' Terry in contempt of court for protesting the pipeline while on her own land, threatening a $1000/day fine and use of U.S. Marshals to forcibly remove her. The land has been in Terry's family for 7 generations {{cite web| url = http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/roanoke_county/judge-finds-red-terry-and-her-daughter-in-contempt-for/article_7e957ad4-0b4f-5a3f-b261-f69ed6fe2227.html| title = Judge finds 'Red' Terry and her daughter in contempt for tree-sit protests of pipeline {{!}} Local News {{!}} roanoke.com| date = May 4, 2018}} On May 16, 2018, Dillon found two farmers in contempt of court for encouraging a tree sit on their property.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/franklin/franklin-county-family-hosting-tree-sitters-receives-fines|title=Franklin County family hosting tree-sitters receives fines|date=May 17, 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{FJC Bio|nid=1394741}}
- {{Ballotpedia|Elizabeth_K._Dillon}}
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{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Samuel Grayson Wilson}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia}}|years=2014–present}}
{{s-inc|rows=2}}
{{s-bef|before=Michael F. Urbanski}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia}}|years=2024–present}}
{{s-end}}
{{United States 4th Circuit district judges}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dillon, Elizabeth K.}}
Category:20th-century American lawyers
Category:20th-century American women lawyers
Category:21st-century American women judges
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:21st-century American women lawyers
Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia
Category:Lenoir–Rhyne University alumni
Category:Lawyers from Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Lawyers from Roanoke, Virginia
Category:United States district court judges appointed by Barack Obama