Evan Rikhye

Evan Rikhye (born 1971) is an American lawyer who serves as a United States district judge for the District Court of the Virgin Islands. Previously, Rikhye served as an assistant United States attorney on Saint Croix from 2008 to 2011 and resumed the role from 2021 to 2024.

Education

Rikhye was born in 1971, in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from American University School of International Service and his Juris Doctor from American University Washington College of Law in 2001.

Career

From 2003 to 2004, Rikhye worked for the Federal Election Commission. From 2004 to 2006, he worked in the United States Department of Justice Office of Legal Policy. From 2006 to 2008, Rikhye worked as an assistant attorney general in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.

District court service

On February 12, 2026, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Rikhye to the seat on the District Court of the Virgin Islands vacated by Judge Wilma A. Lewis. On May 19, 2026, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 50–47 vote. The following day, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a 52–47 vote. He assumed office on May 28, 2026.