By Tyler Rothwell
Since graduating from law school in 1995, Christopher Russell has spent over 30 years in the legal profession and the past six years as judge for the Rockbridge County Circuit Court.
First, he worked as a law clerk in Chesterfield County Circuit Court, outside Richmond. After working in legal aid and then becoming a prosecutor, he took over as commonwealth’s attorney in Buena Vista in 2004. In 2020, he was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to be judge in the 25th judicial district, a role in which he’s dealt with a multitude of criminal cases, notably the Natural Bridge Zoo case.
Now, he’s embracing a new challenge as judge with the Maury River Recovery Court, a drug rehabilitation program that started in June. He says he enjoys the connections he can make with the people who come before him there.
“One thing that I find pretty rewarding is that the judge gets to have one-on-one conversation with the individuals,” Russell said.
In his time as judge, Russell has found himself confronting a rise in drug problems across the Rockbridge area. He also has to help navigate the economic challenges of those who come before him.
“I like working with the law and working in a courtroom and interacting with folks and lawyers,” Russell said. “And talking about how the law works and how it applies to different cases.”
Russell graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1995. He now lives in Lexington with his wife and has two daughters, who have graduated from college, and a son who currently attends Washington and Lee University.
Before law school, Russell went to Dartmouth College. It was during his time there, he said, that he found his love for the law.
He worked a summer job with his second cousin, an assistant district attorney in Boulder, Colorado, where he said he got hooked on criminal law.
Russell oversees recovery court
Russell, through his role as circuit court judge, recently become judge for the Maury River Recovery Court. The recovery court started in June, following years of discussions involving Joshua Elrod, the commonwealth’s attorney for Buena Vista, Jared Moon, the commonwealth’s attorney for Lexington and Rockbridge County, and others.
“As the judge of the recovery court, I interact with each of the participants once a week,” Russell said. “They’re all engaged in some pretty intense outpatient treatment and form of probation where they meet with our recovery coordinator, who is similar to a probation officer.”
The Maury River Recovery Court currently has nine participants and has shown early signs of success, Elrod said.
“The court itself has been very successful because we have really good people involved on the team — really dedicated and talented folks that are committed to the mission,” Russell said. “In terms of how the participants are doing, it’s also successful.”
Russell said his role as a judge in a recovery court is to make sure individuals are doing well.
“I get to talk to them and ask how they’re doing and what they think they need,” he said. “A lot of times the message is, ‘You’re doing great. Make sure you make your appointments and if you feel that you’re struggling, just ask for help.’”
Natural Bridge Zoo legal battles
Russell has also been the main judge overseeing multiple cases of alleged animal abuse at the Natural Bridge Zoo.
He found owner Gretchen Mogensen in contempt of court last year for failing to provide the whereabouts of two missing baby giraffes. She was sentenced to 100 days in jail, which she served at the Rockbridge Regional Jail, and has since been released. In 2024, a Rockbridge County jury found evidence of animal cruelty in a civil case.
Then, last month, Mogensen, along with former zoo owners Karl and Deborah Mogensen, was indicted by a Rockbridge County grand jury on over 50 charges of criminal animal cruelty and forging public documents. Their attorney from a previous case has not commented.
A lifetime of practicing law
Russell has spent his whole career in law since earning his J.D. from Notre Dame.
“I graduated from law school in 1995 and went to work,” Russell said.
After starting his career outside Richmond, Russell moved his family to Lexington and became a legal aid lawyer for a private practice, where he represented indigent clients in civil cases.
He worked as a legal aid lawyer for a few years before becoming a prosecutor in 2001 with Rockbridge County.
“I did that for a few years and then moved to Buena Vista, where we lived for about 15 years, and I was elected commonwealth’s attorney there,” Russell said.
Russell then moved back to Lexington in 2019 to work in the general district court in the Rockbridge County Courthouse.
In his current role, he said, he deals with a wide array of issues on a daily basis.
“I get a great variety of legal challenges and things to think about,” he said.