Michael J. Lindner

Michael Joshua Lindner is a judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit General District Court of Virginia (Fairfax), in the United States, elected February 25, 2015 by the Virginia Senate[2] and the Virginia House of Delegates,[3] for a 6-year term commencing July 1, 2015.[4] His election was preceded by a selection process wherein candidates were evaluated by the Fairfax Bar Judicial Selection Committee which issued an Executive Summary on his candidacy.[5]

Michael J. Lindner
Judge, Fairfax General District Court (19th Judicial Circuit of Virginia)
In office
July 1, 2015 - Present
Personal details
Born
Michael Joshua Lindner[1]

1959
Tallahassee, Florida
Alma materAmerican University Washington College of Law (J.D.)

Education

He received a Bachelor of Arts in history from Kenyon College in 1981. A graduate of the American University Washington College of Law, Lindner was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 2001.[5]

Career

Prior to entering the practice of law, Lindner was a member of the startup team and was software development manager for the computer game company Legend Entertainment, and worked as a designer, programmer, implementer, music composer and/or engineer of computer games produced by the company such as Spellcasting series, Gateway series, Companions of Xanth, Star Control 3, and Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, among other game titles.[6] Despite success in producing games, Lindner switched careers and launched his own law firm in Fairfax in 2001, focusing primarily on criminal and traffic litigation.[5]

As a criminal defense attorney, he handled difficult cases such as homicide trials[7] and representation of persons wrongly held in custody.[8] He served as a substitute judge from 2010 to 2015 and presided over causes in General District and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District courts throughout Northern Virginia.[9] He helped reinvigorate, and from 2012 to 2015, was Co-Chair of the Fairfax Bar Criminal Law Practice Section,[9] serving for the first year in collaboration with David Bernhard.

As a Judge, he has pioneered[10] and promoted[11] implementation of the model Veterans Treatment Docket program,[12] and presided over its first graduates.[13] The program takes a novel hybrid approach, integrating the resolution of criminal cases for criminally-involved veterans with mental health and substance abuse treatment and veteran mentorship.[12] The program has not been without controversy, initially struggling to gain legislative support in the Virginia General Assembly.[14] However, the Supreme Court of Virginia enacted a rule regularizing the existence of such specialty dockets.[15] Lindner's accomplishments both in private practice and as a judge, and perseverance in nurturing the Veterans Treatment Docket, resulted in him being named a "Leader in the Law" by Virginia Lawyers Weekly in 2016.[16]

References
  1. https://www.martindale.com/fairfax/virginia/michael-joshua-lindner-2821097-a/
  2. "Senate Resolution No. 121 - February 25, 2015". lis.virginia.gov.
  3. "House Resolution No. 298 - February 25, 2015". lis.virginia.gov.
  4. "Michael J. Lindner - Ballotpedia". Ballotpedia.
  5. "Executive Summary: January 2015 Fairfax General District Court Judicial Screening" (PDF). cdn.ymaws.com.
  6. "Michael Lindner - Game Credits". MobyGames.
  7. "Md. man convicted in killing of donut shop owner". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  8. "Illegal Immigrants Held As Witnesses for Trial". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-05-06.
  9. "Judge Michael Lindner General District Court Investiture Aug. 6 - Fairfax County, Virginia". fairfaxcounty.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  10. "A troubled Marine goes to Veterans' Court: 'I didn't want to do this. At all.'". Washington Post.
  11. Fairfax County Government (2016-06-14), Veteran's Treatment Docket - Fairfax County State of Public Safety, retrieved 2017-05-09
  12. "Veterans Treatment Docket - Fairfax County, Virginia". fairfaxcounty.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  13. "Veterans Docket Celebrates First Graduation". fairfaxcounty.gov.
  14. "Veteran Treatment Dockets Struggle to Find Support in Virginia General Assembly". The Veterans Law and Benefits Blog. 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  15. "Rule 1:25, Supreme Court of Virginia" (PDF). courts.state.va.us.
  16. "Presenting the 'Leaders in the Law' Class of 2016 – Virginia Lawyers Weekly". Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
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