C. Darnell Jones II facts for kids

Cardozie Darnell Jones II, born on November 23, 1949, is a respected judge in the United States. He serves as a senior United States district judge. This means he works for the federal court system in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Judge C. Darnell Jones II: Early Life and Education

Judge Jones was born in Claremore, Oklahoma. He went to Southwestern College and earned a degree in French in 1972. Later, he studied law at the American University Washington College of Law, finishing in 1975.

After law school, he worked for the Defender Association of Philadelphia from 1975 to 1987. He also taught at several universities. These included St. Joseph's University, Temple University Beasley School of Law, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. From 1998 to 2008, he helped teach other judges. He showed them how to handle important legal cases and understand criminal evidence.

Serving the Philadelphia Courts

In 1987, some judges in Philadelphia's court system left their positions. The Governor of Pennsylvania, Robert P. Casey, Sr., nominated new judges. Judge Jones was one of these nominees. When the state senate did not approve five of the governor's choices, including Jones, these five decided to run in elections for the judgeships. They all won their elections in 1987. People sometimes called them the "Casey Five."

Judge Jones served as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas from 1987 to 2008. He became the President Judge of this court from 2006 to 2008. As President Judge, he was in charge of coordinating all the courts in that judicial district. He also handled serious criminal cases and major civil trials. He even worked as a special judge for business-related cases.

He was a leader among business court judges across the country. He helped guide the American College of Business Court Judges. He also worked with the American Bar Association's Business Law Section.

As President Judge, Jones helped create a special program in 2008. This program helped people facing foreclosure on their homes during a national housing crisis. The program was very successful.

Becoming a Federal Judge

On July 24, 2008, President George W. Bush nominated Judge Jones to become a federal judge. He was to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The United States Senate approved his nomination on September 26, 2008. He officially became a federal judge on October 30, 2008.

On March 15, 2021, Judge Jones took on "senior status." This means he can continue to hear cases but with a reduced workload.

Author and Legal Expert

In 2020, Judge Jones helped write a book for judges. The book is called Presiding Over a Capital Case, An Electronic Benchbook for Judges. He wrote chapters about managing serious legal cases before they go to trial. He had also helped write an earlier version of this book in 2009.

Awards and Recognition

In 2023, Judge Jones received a special award from the Philadelphia Bar Association. It was the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Distinguished Jurist Award. This award honors judges who show the highest ideals of judicial service. It also recognizes those who have made a big positive impact on justice in Philadelphia. When he received the award, Judge Jones said that helping people who lost their homes after Hurricane Katrina was the most important decision he ever made.

In 2005, Lawdragon magazine named Judge Jones one of the top 500 judges in America. In 2015, he gave a special lecture at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. In 2018, he was inducted into the Claremore Hall of Fame. He had also been inducted into the Claremore Public Schools Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1995.

See also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists