The Hon. Penney S. Azcarate is a judge for the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia in Fairfax County. She was elected to the bench by the Virginia General Assembly on February 25, 2015.
Azcarate has served as chief judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit. She gained national attention as the presiding judge in the defamation case, Depp v. Heard, brought by actor Johnny Depp against his ex-wife.
She began her judicial career as the first female judge for the 19th Judicial District Court in Fairfax County in 2008. While on the District Court bench, Azcarate is credited with developing a plan in 2014 to establish a special veterans treatment court in Fairfax County to address the rising number of veterans committing criminal offenses as a result of PTSD. The County’s Veterans Treatment Docket began operation in 2016.
Prior to joining the bench, Azcarate spent three years in private practice at Briglia & Hundley (2005 to 2008). Before joining the firm, she served as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney with the Office of the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney (2000 to 2005) and a staff attorney with the American Prosecutors Research Institute (1998 to 2000).
Azcarate received a bachelor’s degree from Old Dominion University. She then completed a J.D. at George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School, in 1998.
Azcarate served four years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, including during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.