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THE ROBING ROOM
where judges are judged
Hon. Virginia Emerson Hopkins
District judge
N.D.Ala.
11th Circuit
Average Rating:
4.1
-
19
rating(s)
rating submitted
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Ratings:
What others have rated
Hon. Virginia Emerson Hopkins
evaluator
ID
date
Temp* Sch* Indu* Comp* Punct* Ev-Cv* Ev-Cr* Flex Bail Crim Settle Trial Sent Coop Average
Civil Litigation - Private
22264
1/2/14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other
22189
1/2/14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Prosecutor
21257
1/2/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
21259
1/1/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
13568
1/2/12
8
9
10
10
10
9
10
10
0
0
2
5
6
8
9.4
Civil Litigation - Private
13406
1/2/12
1
1
1
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Civil Litigation - Private
11913
1/2/11
0
3
3
0
8
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
3.8
Civil Litigation - Private
11917
1/2/11
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Civil Litigation - Private
10090
1/2/10
1
3
10
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
3.2
Litigant
9265
1/1/09
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other
9104
1/2/09
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
6431
1/2/08
1
2
5
2
8
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3.8
Civil Litigation - Govt.
3079
1/2/06
2
5
6
0
8
7
0
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
5.6
Criminal Defense Lawyer
1650
1/2/06
4
5
6
0
4
0
5
8
5
0
0
0
8
0
4.8
category average
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-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating
Fam
Par
Qu-Arg
At-Arg
Sch
Cri
Civ
Lab
Imm
How familiar are you with the work of this judge? (1=Not at all familiar,10=Extremely familiar)
Participates in Oral Argument (1=Rarely,10=Always)
Quality of Questions During Oral Argument (1=Poor,10=Extremely insightful)
Attitude during oral argument (1=Consistently inappropriate,10=Consistently respectful)
Scholarship as reflected in Opinions (1=Poor,10=Outstanding)
General Inclination in Criminal Appeals (1=Strongly ProGovernment,10=Strongly ProDefense)
General Inclination in Civil Rights Appeals (1=Strongly Pro-Defendant,10=Strongly ProPlaintiff)
General Inclination in Labor Law Appeals (1=Strongly ProEmployee,10=Strongly ProEmployer)
General Inclination in Immigration Appeals (1=Strongly ProImmigrant,10=Strongly ProGov.)
evaluator
ID
date
Fam Par Qu-Arg At-Arg Sch Cri Civ Lab Imm
Civil Litigation - Private
22264
1/2/14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other
22189
1/2/14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Prosecutor
21257
1/2/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
21259
1/1/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
13568
1/2/12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
13406
1/2/12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
11913
1/2/11
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
11917
1/2/11
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
10090
1/2/10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Litigant
9265
1/1/09
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other
9104
1/2/09
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
6431
1/2/08
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Govt.
3079
1/2/06
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
1650
1/2/06
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
category average
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Non-lawyer Rating
(if applicable)
evaluator
ID
date
Rating
Other
12963
1/1/11
1
Other
8919
1/2/09
2
Other
5567
1/2/08
1
Other
4326
1/2/07
2
Other
4079
1/2/07
3
category average
-
Temp*
Sch*
Indu*
Comp*
Punct*
Ev-Cv*
Ev-Cr*
Flex
Bail
Crim
Settle
Trial
Sent
Coop
Temperament (1=Awful 10=Excellent)
Scholarship (1=Awful 10=Excellent)
Industriousness (1=Not at all industrious 10=Highly industrious)
Ability to Handle Complex Litigation (1=Awful 10=Excellent)
Punctuality (1=Chronically Late 10=Always on Time)
Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation (1=Demonstrates Bias 10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation (1=Demonstrates Bias 10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Flexibility in Scheduling (1=Completely Inflexible 10=Very Flexible)
General Inclination Regarding Bail (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pre-Trial (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Civil Settlement Discussions (1=Least Involved 10=Most Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing (1=Pro-Defense 10=Pro-Government)
Typical Discount Off Guidelines for Cooperators (1=10% 10=100%)
comments1
Comments:
What others have said about
Hon. Virginia Emerson Hopkins
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
22264
rating:
0
She is a wonderful judge. I haven't seen her show hate for one side or the other. I wish, however, she would be more free with information. In other words you have to guess a lot of times what is going on with the case until you finally have a pretrial conference.
1/2/14, 10:38 PM
Other
comment #:
22189
rating:
0
She doesn't even try to appear neutral. She shows her hate and disdain for one side the minute she is assigned a case.
1/2/14, 9:45 PM
Prosecutor
comment #:
21257
rating:
0
This is probably the worst judge that I've ever appeared before. She is extremely biased against the government and law enforcement in particular. She lacks the proper judicial disposition. She does not treat those who appear before her in a respectful manner, and even jurors have noticed her disrespectful tone.
1/2/13, 8:40 AM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
21259
rating:
0
To the person who posted comment #21257: if only we had more judges like her, we wouldn't have so many wrongful convictions in this country.
1/1/13, 7:10 PM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
13568
rating:
9.4
This Judge has now rendered thousands of decisions, tried numerous cases, the number of lawyers that have appeared in front of her must be in the thousands, and we have a dozen comments? And nearly every one of them is posted by a whiner or is a personal attack with no substance? Anyone who relies on this site, and for that matter, other rating sites, gets what they deserve: a lot of spin. Those who know don't say; those who say don't know. These posts have one common denominator: she didn't rule for me / my feelings were hurt. That happens to someone in every case. Get over it. Good lawyers like her; the converse appears to be equally true.
1/2/12, 5:53 PM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
13406
rating:
1
'Judge' Hopkins is a disgrace to the federal bench. I could give examples but they would exceed the space in this comment box. The 11th Circuit needs to do something!!
1/2/12, 8:54 PM
Other
comment #:
12963
rating:
0
This Judge took over a year to render a decision, this was a private litigation, no jury, no court appearances by plantiff nor defendant. In addition, she denied, both, factual evidence, and potential decision bearing documentation to be submitted. Very disappointed with quality of this Judge and her obvious lack of concern for affected parties.
1/1/11, 4:22 PM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
11913
rating:
3.8
I don't know what to say, but this judge has no consideration for the litigants' desires in a case. Her excuse for doing anything is that 'you didn't cite any law.' Nevermind, that the other side cited no law; nevermind that she didn't cite any law. Basically, this judge handles cases to make her own life easier. She does not consider the long term impact of her decisions, the litigants or the attorneys. Her personality is very off pointing and one has to wonder why she was appointed a judge (well we all know why). In any case, after dealing with this judge I can see why more and more people are avoiding the federal court system and filing their cases in state courts. At least home cooking tastes good and makes for a great story. All the stringent and nonsensical requirements of federal court and this judge gets you is a headache followed by heartburn.
1/2/11, 6:22 AM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
11917
rating:
1
At her very first motion docket after her appointment to the bench, she behaved in a very inappropriate manner to a civil litigant's counsel. She was ill-tempered and rude -- in front of a packed courtroom of this attorney's peers. It was embarrassing. Anecdotal stories uniformly suggest she has not changed in the years since.
1/2/11, 8:17 AM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
10090
rating:
3.2
Petty, vindictive, and obtuse. She has reasonable intellect, but no ability to apply it. Rather, she spins her wheels creating more problems than she resolves, leaving litgants on both sides frustrated. A trial with her is Kafkaesque. She is very abusive to litigants, witnesses, attorneys, and her own staff.
1/2/10, 1:57 PM
Litigant
comment #:
9265
rating:
0
What Virginia knows about the law would fit in a sewing thimble.
1/1/09, 4:39 PM
Other
comment #:
9104
rating:
0
not very compassionate or fair
1/2/09, 3:47 PM
Other
comment #:
8919
rating:
0
Makes one wonder if she is alright: often confuses herself and everyone else in the room. Tries very hard to do a good job, but just doesn't cut it.
1/2/09, 11:42 AM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
6431
rating:
3.8
1/2/08, 3:46 PM
Other
comment #:
5567
rating:
0
A micromanaging, controlling judge. Very unprepared and inconsiderate to attorneys and court staff. Needs to go to judge school.
1/2/08, 11:42 AM
Other
comment #:
4326
rating:
0
A below average judge bordering on insensitive. Hateful toward the attorneys appearing before her. Not prepared and artifically enslaved by her own procedural guidelines. She needs a senior mentor who will disabuse her that all who come before her are not disrespectful idiots who only have one (her) case.
1/2/07, 6:25 AM
Other
comment #:
4079
rating:
0
I have observed her in court.
1/2/07, 2:19 AM
Civil Litigation - Govt.
comment #:
3079
rating:
5.6
1/2/06, 4:59 AM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
1650
rating:
4.8
1/2/06, 2:35 AM
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