Raymond L Finch at a glance
- Current role
- Chief U.S. District Judge
- Court
- District Court of the Virgin Islands
- Jurisdiction
- U.S. Virgin Islands · Federal
- Judicial service
- January 1, 1994–present
Raymond L Finch
Chief U.S. District Judge · District Court of the Virgin Islands
Available research
Biography
Professional career
- After returning to the Virgin Islands, Finch joined the law firm Hodge & Sheen, later becoming a partner in Hodge, Sheen, Finch & Ross. In 1976, Governor Cyril King appointed him to the Municipal Court (later the Territorial Court), serving until 1994.
- Instructor, University of the Virgin Islands / American Banking Association; 1965-1978
- Attorney; later partner, Hodge and Sheen / Hodge, Sheen, Finch and Ross; from 1969; Became partner in 1971.
- First Lieutenant / Captain, United States Army; 1966-1969
- Law clerk to Judges Alexander A. Farrelly and Antoine L. Joseph, Municipal Court of the Virgin Islands
Judicial service
- Chief Judge, District Court, Virgin Islands, 1994-present
- Raymond Lawrence Finch (1940–2023) was a distinguished American judge who served on the District Court of the Virgin Islands for over two decades, rising to Chief Judge and later Senior Judge, and is remembered as a “bastion of integrity” and a dedicated public servant.
- Judge Finch passed away on February 23, 2023, at age 82. Tributes from governors, senators, and colleagues highlighted his decades of service, integrity, and deep connection to the Virgin Islands community.
- In 1994, President Bill Clinton nominated Finch to the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands, where he served from 1994 to 2018. He was Chief Judge from 1999 to 2005, reappointed in 2004 by President George W. Bush. He assumed senior status in 2008 and retired from active service in 2018.
Education
- Howard University · B.A., 1962
- Howard University School of Law · Law degree, 1965
Courtroom rules and guidance
No applicable courtroom procedure is currently documented in the indexed public sources.
Sources
U.S. District Court for the District of Virgin Islands current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9989/raymond-l-finch/