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C. Darnell Jones II

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C. Darnell Jones II
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 15, 2021
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
In office
October 30, 2008 – March 15, 2021
Appointed byGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byBruce William Kauffman
Succeeded byKai Scott
Judge of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania
In office
Elected November 1987[1] – October 2008
Personal details
Born
Cardozie Darnell Jones II

(1949-11-23) November 23, 1949 (age 74)[2]
Claremore, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic[2]
SpouseEvelyn A. Williams[1]
ChildrenSheinelle Jones
EducationSouthwestern College (AB)
American University (JD)

Cardozie Darnell Jones II (born November 23, 1949) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Education and career

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Jones was born in Claremore, Oklahoma. He received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in French from Southwestern College in 1972, and a Juris Doctor from the American University Washington College of Law in 1975.

He served in the Defender Association of Philadelphia from 1975 to 1987. He was an adjunct professor at St. Joseph's University School of Criminal Justice from 1991 to 1992, at the Temple University Beasley School of Law from 1992 to 1996 and the University of Pennsylvania Law School since 1993. He was a curriculum developer/instructor, and instructed judges on how to handle capital cases and criminal evidence, at The National Judicial College from 1998 to 2008.[3][4][5][6]

Philadelphia court of common pleas

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After a number of judges were removed from the First Judicial District, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 1987 for corruption, Governor Robert P. Casey, Sr. nominated replacement judges to Pennsylvania's senate, including Jones. When the senate did not accept five of Casey's nominations, including Jones, these five chose to run in elections for those judgeships, ultimately winning the elections in 1987. They are sometimes referred to as the "Casey Five."[7][8][9]

He was a judge on the Court of Common Pleas from 1987 to 2008, serving as President judge from 2006 to 2008. While president judge, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court appointed Jones Chair of the Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District, which co-ordinates all the courts within that judicial district. During his time on the Court of Common Pleas, he was also a presiding and co-coordinating judge in the homicide division, a presiding judge in the major civil trial division, and was assigned to the Commerce Case Management Program as a specialized business court judge.[10]

As a business court judge nationally, he was a Director of the American College of Business Court Judges.[11] He also served as a Business Court Representative to the American Bar Association's Business Law Section.[12]

As President judge, Jones was instrumental in creating the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas' Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program, during the national foreclosure crisis of 2008. The program was considered a success.[13]

Federal judicial service

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On July 24, 2008, Jones was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Bruce William Kauffman. Jones was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 26, 2008, and received his commission on October 30, 2008. He assumed senior status on March 15, 2021.[14]

Author

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In 2020, Jones was a contributing author to The National Judicial College publication, Presiding Over a Capital Case, An Electronic Benchbook for Judges, co-authoring the chapters on case management and pre-trial matters unique to capital cases (chapters 2 and 3).[15][16] He had earlier co-authored the judicial guidebook, Presiding Over a Capital Case, A Benchbook for Judges published by The National Judicial College in 2009.[3][10][17]

Awards and honors

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In 2023, Jones received the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association, given to judges who adhere “to the highest ideals of judicial service” and who have “made a significant, positive impact on the quality or administration of justice in Philadelphia….” In receiving the award, Jones said "the most important decision he ever made was the travel to a New Orleans suburb the week after Hurricane Katrina to help those who had lost their homes and possessions."[18][19]

In 2005, Jones was named one of the 500 leading judges in America by Lawdragon magazine. In October 2015, Jones presented Rogers State University’s Maurice Meyer Distinguished Endowed Lecture in Claremore, Oklahoma.[10] In 2018, Jones was inducted into the Claremore Hall of Fame,[20] having earlier been inducted into the Claremore Public Schools Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1995.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Confirmation hearings on federal appointments : hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session. pt.4 2008
  2. ^ a b Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice bios
  3. ^ a b "C. Darnell Jones". Stephen and Sandra Sheller Center for Social Justice. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  4. ^ "C. Darnell Jones". www.law.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  5. ^ "Darnell Jones". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  6. ^ "C. Darnell Jones II, Justia Professionals". professionals.justia.com. 2008. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  7. ^ Kromer, John (2020). "Philadelphia Battlefields: Disruptive Campaigns and Upset Elections in a Changing City (Temple University Press)". www.phila3-0.org.
  8. ^ Goldman, Mary; Hearn, Peter; Jones, Ernest E. (2007-11-01). "Letters, Judges too good to throw out". Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  9. ^ Lounsberry, Emilie (2008-09-27). "Three from area are appointed federal judges". Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  10. ^ a b c d "Distinguished Claremore Native to Deliver Oct. 30 Meyer Lecture". Rogers State University. 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  11. ^ "C. Darnell Jones". www.law.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  12. ^ "Business Court Representatives, American Bar Association, Business Law Section".
  13. ^ Arvedlund, Erin (2020-06-29). "Philly judge creates program to help small businesses reopen and negotiate with creditors". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved 2024-07-13.
  14. ^ C. Darnell Jones II at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  15. ^ "The National Judicial College, Presiding Over a Capital Case An Electronic Benchbook for Judges". capitalcases. 2020. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  16. ^ "Faculty & Contributors, The National Judicial College". capitalcases. 2020. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  17. ^ "Presiding over a capital case : a benchbook for judges | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  18. ^ "Bar Association Opens Nominations for Brennan Award - Philadelphia Bar News". philadelphiabar.org. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  19. ^ Kipp, Rachel (October 18, 2023). "Hon. C. Darnell Jones II recognized for his service with 2023 Brennan Award, Philadelphia Bar Reporter". philadelphiabar.org. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  20. ^ Fink, Tom (2018-02-12). "Neely, Jones named 2018 Claremore Hall of Fame inductees". Claremore Daily Progress. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
[edit]
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
2008–2021 		Succeeded by
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