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THE ROBING ROOM
where judges are judged
Hon. Rebecca Beach Smith
District judge
E.D.Va.
4th Circuit
Average Rating:
3.4
-
28
rating(s)
rating submitted
Please send me alerts on this judge
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Ratings:
What others have rated
Hon. Rebecca Beach Smith
evaluator
ID
date
Temp* Sch* Indu* Comp* Punct* Ev-Cv* Ev-Cr* Flex Bail Crim Settle Trial Sent Coop Average
Prosecutor
29546
1/2/18
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Criminal Defense Lawyer
26898
1/3/18
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Criminal Defense Lawyer
26900
1/3/18
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Court Staff
24866
1/2/17
10
10
10
10
8
10
10
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
9.7
Court Staff
23841
1/2/16
1
1
2
2
1
1
0
1
0
10
10
0
0
0
1.3
Other
23187
1/2/15
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
21529
1/2/14
10
9
10
10
10
10
10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
9.9
Civil Litigation - Private
21153
1/2/13
2
3
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
2.3
Other
20798
1/2/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
18926
1/1/12
1
3
3
4
5
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
Civil Litigation - Private
13815
1/3/12
2
8
7
6
7
6
0
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
Criminal Defense Lawyer
11807
1/1/10
1
2
2
2
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.8
Criminal Defense Lawyer
11559
1/2/10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Prosecutor
8557
1/2/09
1
1
1
1
1
0
3
3
3
3
0
3
5
5
1.3
Civil Litigation - Private
7486
1/2/08
1
1
5
2
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.3
Criminal Defense Lawyer
6114
1/1/08
6
7
7
7
4
6
6
6
5
6
6
6
6
0
6.1
Civil Litigation - Private
5330
1/1/07
7
10
7
7
6
8
8
8
0
0
7
0
0
0
7.6
Civil Litigation - Private
5071
1/2/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
4921
1/2/07
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Civil Litigation - Private
4040
1/1/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
category average
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
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
Prosecutor
29546
1/2/18
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
26898
1/3/18
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
26900
1/3/18
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Court Staff
24866
1/2/17
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Court Staff
23841
1/2/16
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other
23187
1/2/15
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
21529
1/2/14
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
21153
1/2/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other
20798
1/2/13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
18926
1/1/12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
13815
1/3/12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
11807
1/1/10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
11559
1/2/10
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Prosecutor
8557
1/2/09
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
7486
1/2/08
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
6114
1/1/08
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
5330
1/1/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
5071
1/2/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Criminal Defense Lawyer
4921
1/2/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Civil Litigation - Private
4040
1/1/07
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
category average
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Non-lawyer Rating
(if applicable)
evaluator
ID
date
Rating
Other
25927
1/2/18
1
Other
23166
1/2/15
1
Litigant
22900
1/2/15
1
Other
22966
1/3/15
1
Other
20909
1/2/13
1
Litigant
12978
1/1/11
1
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. Rebecca Beach Smith
Prosecutor
comment #:
29546
rating:
1
Disastrous and dumb as a rock.
1/2/18, 7:51 AM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
26898
rating:
1
Horrible. Just absolutely horrible.
1/3/18, 4:18 AM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
26900
rating:
1
No. Just, no.
1/3/18, 4:21 AM
Other
comment #:
25927
rating:
0
Hon. Rebecca Smith doesn't take the entire case into consideration or the person and or families lives when she is handing down a sentence. She always sentences on the extreme high side of the guidelines. Extremely unfair judge.
1/2/18, 7:55 PM
Court Staff
comment #:
24866
rating:
9.7
She is an outstanding jurist, and a terrific administrator.
1/2/17, 6:15 AM
Court Staff
comment #:
23841
rating:
1.3
THE WORST, especially since the others have to bow down to her!! Being chief judge is nothing special. It's just because of timing that you are. You are not selected by fellow judges or the bar. As soon as you walk in the building, you can feel the tension.
1/2/16, 6:56 AM
Other
comment #:
23187
rating:
0
Judge, keep up the good work. Your job isn't easy and I admire your hard work.
1/2/15, 10:15 PM
Other
comment #:
23166
rating:
0
Honorable is not the first term that comes to mind when thinking of Rebecca Smith. I fear for our justice system if for as long as she remains a part of it.
1/2/15, 3:15 AM
Litigant
comment #:
22900
rating:
0
She was the worst judge ever. My lawyer was afraid of her and wouldn't speak. Im hoping she retire pretty soon
1/2/15, 9:25 PM
Other
comment #:
22966
rating:
0
I cannot believe this lady is a judge. she does not stand for justice and equality. she speaks to litigants as if they are inhuman. she makes decisions without the consideration of the person's life. the pic of evil
1/3/15, 5:27 AM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
21529
rating:
9.9
1/2/14, 6:28 AM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
21153
rating:
2.3
1/2/13, 5:46 AM
Other
comment #:
20909
rating:
0
I had only ever heard the rumors over the years about how rude, inconsiderate and crazy this judge is. It's obvious, given her ratings here, that I'm not the only one here who is aware of this. The old saying 'absolute power corrupts absolutely' definitely applies in this case.
1/2/13, 9:10 PM
Other
comment #:
20798
rating:
0
Very thorough, prepared, professional, knowledgeable, considerate, impartial, wise, and fair.
1/2/13, 1:07 AM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
18926
rating:
3
Judge Smith is the worst judge I have appeared before. Most judges try to get decisions right, but understand they can't always be right, and so they usually address counsel with some amount of courtesy. While this attitude is hard to bear when she is right about something, it is extremely difficult on those occasions when she is wrong. She shows no courtesy or respect for litigants or their counsel, and instead shows contempt and is downright mean on occasion. She is, as a number of posters have said, the poster child for why judges should not be appointed for life.
1/1/12, 6:13 PM
Civil Litigation - Private
comment #:
13815
rating:
6
She is tough and not the nicest, but I think she writes sound opinions and has a good grasp of the law.
1/3/12, 2:39 AM
Litigant
comment #:
12978
rating:
0
I have read the submitted comments about her as a judge and it is clear to me that she either does not read the actions submitted to her in civil actions or she does so in a hurry, while sitting in judgment of peoples lives, she is incredibly incompent.
1/1/11, 10:03 PM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
11807
rating:
1.8
Some years ago I had a case before Judge Smith in which she conducted an evidentiary hearing on a pretrial motion. After 3 hours of testimony, she immediately simply read her opinion into the record, complete with citations. It was obvious that she had made up her mind before the first witness was sworn, and that her opnion had been drafted for her the night before. Win or lose, it was a disgrace that the evidence didn't matter to her decision. She has no patience, and her judicial temperapment is non-exisitent.
1/1/10, 11:13 PM
Criminal Defense Lawyer
comment #:
11559
rating:
0
I found Judge Smith to be a very fair and well-informed judge. She maintains firm control of her courtroom and expects a lot from the attorneys who practice in front of her, just a good judge should. I find the bulk of these comments to be inconsistent with what I experienced in her courtroom.
1/2/10, 12:24 AM
Prosecutor
comment #:
8557
rating:
1.3
This judge is utterly contemptible. It's quite clear that she doesn't read the briefs, the cases, or even the memos written by her clerks before she happens to go up to the bench. I've had everything from motions practices to sentencing decisions in which there is nothing but quiet in the courtroom as she sits ups there forever, perusing the memo before her or the pre-sentencing report, clearly reading it for the first time right before she makes a major decision. Look, I'm a prosecutor. Have been my whole life, will be til the day I die. It's all I ever wanted to do. I'm a rabid conservative on law and order and think til this day that the Warren Court is harming America by letting defendants off. But this judge's approach to the bench is morally disgusting and reprehensible. I've with major criminal trials, again and again, in which she clearly is deciding whether to exclude evidence based on reading her clerk's memo during motions evidence and arguments. Sentencing that could put a human being behind bars for 15 years (and most of them deserve it, but SOME of them deserve something less), and she's reading a pre-sentencing report in the moment, as she decides how many months to sentence a real human being. It's totally disgusting and morally bankrupt. She's a disgrace to the bench. She should be impeached.
1/2/09, 11:58 AM
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