The United States Virgin Islands Judicial System was established in Section 21 of the Revised Organic Act of 1954:

(a) The judicial power of the Virgin Islands shall be vested in a court of record designated the “District Court of the Virgin Islands” established by Congress, and in such appellate court and lower local courts as may have been or may hereafter be established by local law.

(b) The legislature of the Virgin Islands may vest in the courts of the Virgin Islands established by local law jurisdiction over all causes in the Virgin Islands over which any court established by the Constitution and laws of the United States does not have exclusive jurisdiction. Such jurisdiction shall be subject to the concurrent jurisdiction conferred on the District Court of the Virgin Islands by section 22(a) and (c) of this Act.

(c) The rules governing the practice and procedure of the courts established by local law and those prescribing the qualifications and duties of the judges and officers thereof, oaths and bonds, and the times and places of holding court shall be governed by local law or the rules promulgated by those courts.

Supreme Court of the United States Virgin Islands

On October 29, 2004, Act No. 6687 established a Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands and officially changed the name of the Territorial Court of the Virgin Islands to the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. The Court assumed its appellate jurisdiction on January 29, 2007. The court presently consists of a chief justice and two associate justices.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is Hon. Rhys S. Hodge. Associate Justices are Hon. Maria M. Cabret and Hon. Ive Arlington Swan.

Supreme Court Web Site

District Court of the United States Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction for the United States Virgin Islands. The court is composed of nine Judges who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Legislature.

The nine Superior Court Judges are: St. Thomas/St. John: Hon. Brenda J. Hollar, Hon. Ishmael A. Meyers, Hon. Audrey L. Thomas, Hon. Leon A. Kendall, Hon. James S. Carroll, III, Hon. Michael C. Dunston; St. Croix: Hon. Darryl Dean Donohue, Presiding Judge, Hon. Patricia D. Steele, Hon. Julio A. Brady, Hon. Francis J. D'Eramo.