Judge Lisa B. Kemler
Court: Circuit Court, Family Division (Virginia)
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Before taking the bench, Lisa Kemler rose to national attention as a defense attorney for Lorena Bobbitt in the infamous 1993 case involving domestic violence and extreme retaliation. While that case made her a celebrity in legal circles, her later tenure as a family court judge in Alexandria has drawn harsh criticism from parents, advocates, and due process watchdogs. Litigants accuse Kemler of weaponizing protective orders, ignoring evidence, and retaliating against self-represented parents with extreme bias. Many report being silenced in her courtroom, punished for filing motions, and stripped of visitation without hearings or factual findings.
Advocates describe her courtroom as a closed and hostile environment, where entrenched favoritism benefits select attorneys and guardians ad litem. Requests for ADA accommodations are often denied or ignored, and parents challenging procedural irregularities risk sanctions, gag orders, or supervised visitation without cause. Despite repeated complaints and accusations of enabling parental alienation, Judge Kemler remains on the bench, shielded by judicial immunity and a system reluctant to investigate misconduct. Critics argue that while she once defended a woman in a landmark case of alleged abuse, she now plays a role in facilitating abuse through the court itself.
ALWD-Style Citations:
Michael Phillips, Judge Lisa Kemler’s Monday Exit: A Strategic Retirement or an Escape from Accountability?, The Thunder Report (June 30, 2025), https://thunderreport.org/2025/06/30/judge-lisa-kemlers-monday-exit-a-strategic-retirement-or-an-escape-from-accountability/.
Michael Phillips, Kemler the Quitter: When Judges Walk Away from the Damage They’ve Done, The Thunder Report (Apr. 29, 2025), https://thunderreport.org/2025/04/29/kemler-the-quitter-when-judges-walk-away-from-the-damage-theyve-done/.
Michael Phillips, The Quiet Exodus: Why Virginia Judges Like Lisa B. Kemler Are Retiring Early, The Thunder Report (Apr. 27, 2025), https://thunderreport.org/2025/04/27/the-quiet-exodus-why-virginia-judges-like-lisa-b-kemler-are-retiring-early/.
