R. Morgan Armstrong, born in Martinsville, Virginia, was a prosecutor, trial attorney, and General District Court Judge there. He attended Virginia Military Institute, received his BA degree from Duke University, and his law degree from the University of Richmond. During law school he worked summers as a park ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers at Philpott Dam and during the summer of 1972 as a police officer for the City of Virginia Beach. While a prosecutor, he helped organize and supervise a special police unit composed of state troopers, county deputies, and town police. While a judge, he wrote the Unauthorized Practice of Law section of the Virginia District Court Judges Bench Book. He joined the National Ski Patrol (NSP) in the fall of 1980. Armstrong served in every line officer position and most instructor positions. He was elected director of the Southern Division, then elected to two terms on the national board of directors for the NSP, chaired the Governance Committee, and in 2019 was inducted into the National Ski Patrol Hall of Fame. Upon his retirement from the bench, he moved to Wintergreen Resort with his wife, Jo Ann, and their dog, Bailey. He enjoys working with the local ski patrol and writing.
