PERSON: Penney Azcarate

Fairfax County

Judge

Penney S. Azcarate served during the 1991 Persian Gulf War as a US Marine. After her service, she graduated from what is now Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in 1998.

In 2008, Azcarate was elected by the General Assembly to serve on Virginia’s General District Court Bench. Her election was historic as she was the first woman to hold this position. While a judge, Azcarate observed a high number of veterans developing criminal records as a result of PTSD. In 2014, she introduced a plan to create a special veterans’ treatment docket in Fairfax County, with the goal of preventing veterans from getting criminal records and instead getting the treatment they needed. As a result of Azcarate’s efforts, by 2016, Fairfax County established a Veterans Treatment Docket in each of its three courts, General District, Juvenile and Domestic Relations and Circuit Court.

On February 25, 2015, Azcarate was elected by the Virginia General Assembly as chief judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit in Virginia, and took office on July 1.