Avnel Coates is currently the Chief Magistrate of the 16th Judicial District. She supervises up to 15 magistrates and supports the Magistrate Regional Supervisor and the Office of the Executive Secretary. She maintains magistrate authority issuing warrants, summonses, emergency protective orders, search warrant, emergency custody orders and temporary detention orders. While in the magistrate system, Avnel has been a member of the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia’s Judicial Officer Security Study Group Virginia Facilities and Security Workgroups and currently is a member of the Commonwealth Court Security Committee. Avnel attended Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and University of Richmond School of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree. She is a licensed member, in good standing, of the Virginia State Bar. In May of 2024, Avnel was a judicial officer panel participant at the Action Alliance’s protective order panel. She is a member of the Hill Tucker Bar Association, Old Dominion Bar Association, immediate past president and 1st Vice President of the Virginia Magistrates Association. Avnel is a faculty member for the National Center for State Courts and an adjunct professor at William & Mary Law School and Laurel Ridge Community College in the legal administration program. At William & Mary, Avnel teaches in the lawyering skills program, and she developed and teaches Mental Health & the Law. Avnel has been awarded 2024 CIT presenter of the year for the Rappahannock Rapidan Area CIT program. Avnel is blessed to be the mother of three children, Daniel -17, Vanessa -12 and Lucas -6. She enjoys her children’s activities such as ballet, competitive cheerleading and swimming, soccer, softball, baseball and coming soon – karate!