Judge Bios

Ms. Davis grew up in and around Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois. She is one of three daughters of Jean Schulte Davis and the late Charles William Davis. Ms. Davis graduated from New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois in 1962 and attended Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio from 1962-1964. She subsequently attended the University of California at Berkeley from 1966-1968 where she received her B.A. degree. She received her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1972.

In 1973 Ms. Davis joined the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia where she practiced in the Family and Criminal Divisions of the D.C. Superior Court and argued appeals before the D.C. Court of Appeals. In October, 1976 she became a trial attorney in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and in 1979 became a Deputy Chief of that Section. in these capacities Ms. Davis prosecuted cases of police misconduct and of racial and religious violence throughout the nation. In June, 1984 she became Chief of the Criminal Section, remaining in that position until March, 1995. As Chief of the Criminal Section Ms. Davis assumed responsibility for managing a nationwide enforcement of the criminal civil rights laws, including prosecution of militant members of the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups and prosecution of Los Angeles Police Department officers for beating Rodney King.

During her tenure in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division Ms. Davis received numerous awards and commendations and in 1993 was the first recipient of the Division’s John Doar Award for exceptional accomplishments and high standards of excellence and dedication in the enforcement of civil rights laws. On June 22nd, 1995 she received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award.

Ms. Davis is married to the Honorable Robert I. Richter who is also an Associate Judge of the Superior Court. They are the proud parents of three sons–David, age 16, Charlie, age 13, and Bill, age 10.