Hon. David Newell Richter, is a Magistrate Judge in the Civil Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (“Superior Court”). He currently sits in the Landlord and Tenant Branch, handling status hearings and trials in eviction cases.

Before joining the court, Judge Richter worked for the District of Columbia Criminal Code Reform Commission, where he helped draft and review criminal justice legislation and assisted in advising the City Council on proposed laws. Judge Richter was also a solo practitioner specializing in defending indigent individuals charged with crimes in the Superior Court. Over the course of his practice, primarily as a Criminal Justice Act Panel member, Judge Richter served as lead counsel in hundreds of criminal cases, representing juveniles charged in delinquency matters as well as adults charged in misdemeanors, domestic violence, and serious felony cases.

Judge Richter has served on the board of the District of Columbia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association’s Committee on the Criminal Justice Act Panel. In that capacity, he assisted in selecting and training new attorneys to take criminal case appointments in the Superior Court.

Judge Richter received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College and Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable Robert E. Morin and the Honorable Geoffrey M. Alprin on the Superior Court.