Dontaé L. Bugg serves on the Circuit Court for Fairfax County.  Prior to taking the bench, he served as a substitute judge for the General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. With nearly 12 years of experience in private practice, including founding Bugg Law Firm, PLLC, Judge Bugg focused his work in criminal defense before the federal and state courts, as well as domestic relations matters in local courts across the Commonwealth.  Judge Bugg is a strong advocate for equal access to justice, and his service is informed through the lived experience of family members connected to law enforcement and the justice system.  Judge Bugg  regularly counsels young people on following their passions, staying true to their talents, and showing-up authentically in the spaces they occupy and hope to be.   

In 2019, Judge Bugg was the the first Black judge to be elevated to the bench in Fairfax County in nearly a quarter-century.  Judge Bugg is a son of Newport News, Virginia.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland and his Juris Doctor from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond.