Richard W. Roberts

Richard Roberts
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
In office July 15, 2013 – March 16, 2016
Preceded by	Royce C. Lamberth
Succeeded by	Beryl A. Howell
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
In office June 23, 1998 – March 16, 2016
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Charles Robert Richey
Personal details
Born	Richard Warren Roberts 1953 (age 63–64) New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Vassar College School for International Training Columbia University

Richard Warren Roberts (born 1953) is the former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Roberts retired from the bench citing unspecified health issues on March 16, 2016, the same day that a Utah woman filed a $25 million civil rights lawsuit against him, alleging that he had sexually assaulted her decades earlier while prosecuting a murder case in which she was a witness.

Roberts is African American. Both of Roberts's parents were public school teachers. His mother was involved as a chorister at the Metropolitan Opera, and his father was avidly involved with the NAACP and participated in the March on Washington in 1963. His father also participated in the march in Memphis, Tennessee, after Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated. Roberts attended the High School of Music and Art in New York City and was a 1970 graduate.

Roberts is a 1974 graduate from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Roberts was awarded an A.B. degree and received cum laude honors there. Originally, Roberts concentrated in mathematics at Vassar but then began a career path in law. He continued his education at both the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, and Columbia Law School in New York City. In 1978, he received a master's degree in international administration from the School for International Training, and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School.

In 1983, Roberts helped found the Washington, D.C., chapter of Concerned Black Men, Inc. The vision of this organization is to help provide more black male role models for children in various communities across the United States. Roberts held the position of deputy general counsel for the Washington, D.C., chapter.

According to the Biography by the National Conference on Citizenship, Roberts has held various academic, community, and legal positions. In academic settings, he served on the Board of Trustees of Vassar College for 12 years and rejoined the Board in 2014, has been a visiting faculty member of the Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop for over 30 years, and was an Adjunct Professor of trial practice at Georgetown University Law Center.

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