Carol Ann Dalton (born September 2, 1950) is an American former magistrate judge and associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. She served as a magistrate judge from 2002 to 2008 and as an associate judge from August 2008 until her retirement in February 2020.
Early life and education
Dalton was born in New York City and attended Cardinal Spellman High School, graduating in June 1968. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the City College of New York in June 1972, a Juris Doctor from New York Law School in June 1986, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in tax law from George Washington University’s National Law Center in June 1990.
Legal career
After completing her education, Dalton worked in private legal practice before entering public service. In April 2002, she was appointed a magistrate judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia under the Family Court Act of 2001, which created the position to address family law matters.
Judicial service on the Superior Court
President George W. Bush nominated Dalton to the position of associate judge on the Superior Court on November 9, 2005; the nomination expired at the end of the 109th Congress in December 2006. Bush renominated her on January 9, 2007, and after Senate hearings, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs reported her nomination favorably on July 30, 2008. The full Senate confirmed her by voice vote on August 1, 2008, granting her a 15‑year term. During her tenure, Dalton presided over a broad range of cases, including family law, civil, and criminal matters, and contributed to the court’s administration. She retired from the bench in February 2020 and was succeeded by Judge Elana S. Suttenberg.
References
- “Judges | District of Columbia Courts.” dccourts.gov.
- United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing transcript, July 23, 2008.
- Congressional Record of nominations, PN1054 (2005) and PN7 (2008).
This entry reflects information available from publicly verifiable sources as of the last update.