John Ashton MacKenzie
John Ashton MacKenzie was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.Education and career
Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, MacKenzie received a Bachelor of Laws from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1939. He was in private practice in Portsmouth from 1939 to 1967, also serving as an officer in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, from 1941 to 1946. He was an associate judge of the Municipal Court of Portsmouth from 1952 to 1962. He was a member of the Virginia General Assembly from 1954 to 1958.Federal judicial service
On July 17, 1967, MacKenzie was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia created by 80 Stat. 75. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 18, 1967, and received his commission on August 25, 1967. He served as Chief Judge from 1979 to 1985. He assumed senior status on November 30, 1985, serving in that capacity until his retirement from the bench, on January 30, 1998. MacKenzie died on January 1, 2010, in Portsmouth.
