John Edward Sparks (born August 15, 1953) is an American lawyer who serves as a

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

of the

United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces The United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (in case citations, C.A.A.F. or USCAAF) is an Article I court that exercises worldwide appellate jurisdiction over members of the United States Armed Forces on active duty and other pers ...

and former commissioner to the chief judge of the same court.

Biography

Sparks was born in

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, was raised in

Mount Holly, New Jersey Mount Holly is a township that is the county seat of Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth largest city as of 2020, As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population w ...

and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in July 1971. After completing

Naval Academy Preparatory School The Naval Academy Preparatory School or NAPS is the preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy. NAPS is located on Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. The mission of the Naval Academy Preparatory School is "To enhance Midshipman Ca ...

he received an appointment to the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

and began the course of instruction as a midshipman in July 1972. He received a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree from the

and upon graduation he accepted a commission as a second lieutenant in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

. From 1976 to 1986, he served in various positions as an infantry officer in the

. In 1983, he was accepted into the Marine Corps Excess Leave Law Program and began the study of law at the

University of Connecticut School of Law The University of Connecticut School of Law (UConn Law) is the law school associated with the University of Connecticut and located in Hartford, Connecticut. It is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. In ...

, where he later received a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

. He was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1986 and was certified as a Marine Corps judge advocate. From 1986 to 1991, he served as a military defense counsel, military prosecutor and Chief Legal Assistance Officer. From 1991 to 1994, he served as a Military Judge at

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilmingt ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. From 1994 to 1996, he served as Military Assistant to the General Counsel at the

United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary o ...

. From 1996 to 1998, he was Deputy Legal Advisor for the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...

, retiring from the Marine Corps at the end of this service in 1998. From 1998 to 1999, he served as Special Assistant to the

Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

in which role he was instrumental in the settlement of a class action lawsuit against the department by African American farmers. He served as Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Navy from 1999 to 2000. From 2000 to 2016, he served as Commissioner to the Chief Judge of the

Court of Appeals service

On July 30, 2015,

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

nominated Sparks to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, to the seat vacated by Judge

James E. Baker James Edgar Baker (born March 25, 1960) is an American attorney, judge, and academic. He is the former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He was appointed to the Court on September 19, 2000, by President Bill ...

, who took

senior status Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...

on July 31, 2015. This is an Article I Judicial appointment with a term of fifteen years. On December 9, 2015, he received a hearing before the

Senate Armed Services Committee The Committee on Armed Services (sometimes abbreviated SASC for ''Senate Armed Services Committee'') is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Defe ...

. His nomination was reported out of committee on December 15, 2015."EXECUTIVE CALENDAR" - December 16, 2015, United States Senate
/ref> The Senate confirmed his nomination on April 5, 2016, by

voice vote In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding vo ...

. He received his commission on April 19, 2016, and took the judicial oath the same day. By law, his commission will expire on July 31, 2031, at which time his term will end, unless he is reappointed.

Personal

Sparks lives in Virginia with his wife, Wendy. They have three grown children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparks, John E. 1953 births Living people People from Mount Holly, New Jersey United States Navy sailors United States Naval Academy alumni United States Marine Corps officers University of Connecticut School of Law alumni United States Marine Corps Judge Advocate Division Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces United States Article I federal judges appointed by Barack Obama 21st-century American judges African-American judges