John McCarthy Roll (February 8, 1947 – January 8, 2011) was a
United States district judge who served on the
United States District Court for the District of Arizona
The United States District Court for the District of Arizona (in case citations, D. Ariz.) is the U.S. district court that covers the state of Arizona. It is under the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The District was est ...
from 1991 until
his murder in 2011, and as chief judge of that court from 2006 to 2011. With degrees from the
University of Arizona College of Law and
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...
, Roll began his career as a court bailiff in Arizona and became an assistant city attorney of
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, Arizona in 1973. Later that year, Roll became a deputy county attorney for
Pima County
Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the populati ...
, Arizona until 1980, when he began serving as an
Assistant United States Attorney
An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal go ...
for seven years. President
George H. W. Bush appointed Roll to a federal judge seat in Arizona after Roll served four years as a state judge.
Roll was killed in the 2011 Tucson shooting while attending a constituent outreach event held by U.S. Representative
Gabby Giffords
Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun control advocate who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned ...
in
Casas Adobes, near
Tucson, Arizona
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
.
Early life and education
Roll was born in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
to a Catholic family, and grew up in Arizona. He attended
Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson.
Roll received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first ...
in 1969, 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 l ...
from the
University of Arizona College of Law in 1972, and a
Master of Laws
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mo ...
from the
University of Virginia School of Law
The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...
in 1990.
Personal life
Roll and his wife, Maureen, had been married for 41 years at the time of his death. They had three sons.
He was described as "deeply conservative", politically, and a lifelong Republican.
Roll was a Roman Catholic who attended
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...
daily. He served as a
lector
Lector is Latin for one who reads, whether aloud or not. In modern languages it takes various forms, as either a development or a loan, such as french: lecteur, en, lector, pl, lektor and russian: лектор. It has various specialized uses.
...
in the sacred liturgy. He was an active member of the
St. Thomas More Society and a Fourth Degree
Knight of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...
.
Legal career
Roll was a bailiff for the
Pima County
Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the populati ...
Superior Court from 1972 to 1973. He was an assistant city attorney of Tucson in 1973, and was then a deputy county attorney of Pima County's Criminal Division from 1973 to 1980. He was a clinical instructor at the
University of Arizona College of Law from 1978 to 1979, after which he served as an
Assistant United States Attorney
An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal go ...
for the District of Arizona from 1980 to 1987. During that time, he was attached to an organized crime task force (1982–1986) and the Civil Division (1986–1987). After his years as an Assistant United States Attorney, he became a state judge and served on the Court of Appeals, Division Two, for the State of Arizona from 1987 to 1991, and eventually became its vice-chief judge in 1991. He also served as a judge on the Pima County Superior Court, Criminal Bench, in that year.
Federal judge
Roll was nominated by President
George H. W. Bush on September 23, 1991, to a seat on the
United States District Court for the District of Arizona
The United States District Court for the District of Arizona (in case citations, D. Ariz.) is the U.S. district court that covers the state of Arizona. It is under the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The District was est ...
that had been vacated by
Alfredo Chavez Marquez
Alfredo Chavez Marquez (June 30, 1922 – August 27, 2014) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
Education and career
Born in Winkelman, Arizona, Marquez was an Ensign in the Un ...
. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and po ...
on November 22, 1991, and received his commission on November 25. Roll was elevated to Chief Judge on May 1, 2006, succeeding
Stephen M. McNamee, and served until his death in January 2011.
Roll was succeeded as chief judge by
Roslyn O. Silver.
In 1994, Roll was one of several district court judges who held that provisions of the
Brady Law
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act ( Pub.L. 103–159, 107 Stat. 1536, enacted November 30, 1993), often referred to as the Brady Act or the Brady Bill, is an Act of the United States Congress that mandated federal background checks on ...
violated the
Tenth Amendment,
a holding upheld by the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
in the related case of ''
Printz v. United States''.
In 2009, Roll ruled that the case ''
Vicente v. Barnett'' could go forward. The $32 million lawsuit brought by the
Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) against Arizona rancher Roger Barnett on behalf of 16 Mexican plaintiffs charged that the plaintiffs were assaulted, threatened, and held at gunpoint by Barnett and members of his family. After Roll's ruling and prompted by several talk-radio programs, he was the subject of hundreds of complaining phone calls and death threats and he and his family were under the protection of the
U.S. Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforceme ...
for a month.
Roll declined to press charges when some of those who made threats were identified.
Murder
Roll was shot on January 8, 2011, outside a
Safeway
Safeway is an American supermarket chain founded by Marion Barton Skaggs in April 1915 in American Falls, Idaho. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and features a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, del ...
supermarket in
Casas Adobes, Arizona
Casas Adobes (Spanish: "''Adobe Houses''") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in the northern metropolitan area of Tucson, Arizona (in Pima County). The population was 66,795 at the 2010 census. Casas A ...
,
when
Jared Lee Loughner
Jared Lee Loughner (; born September 10, 1988) is an American mass murderer who pled guilty to 19 charges of murder and attempted murder in connection with the January 8, 2011, Tucson shooting, in which he shot and severely injured U.S. Repre ...
opened fire at a "Congress on Your Corner" event held by Democratic U.S. Representative
Gabby Giffords
Gabrielle Dee Giffords (born June 8, 1970) is an American retired politician and gun control advocate who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing from January 2007 until January 2012, when she resigned ...
. Roll had attended
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different ele ...
earlier that morning and decided only about an hour before the shooting to attend the event.
Surveillance video revealed that Roll was shot in the back after pushing down and shielding
Ron Barber
Ronald Sylvester Barber (born August 25, 1945) is an American politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 2012 to 2015. Barber, a member of the Democratic Party from Arizona, served as district director for U.S ...
, a staffer for Giffords who had just been shot.
Roll later died of his injuries, as did five other people.
Thirteen others were injured by gunfire, but survived, including Giffords and Barber; Barber would go on to replace Giffords when she resigned from Congress to recuperate from the injuries sustained in the shooting.
Chief Justice John Roberts
John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served as the 17th chief justice of the United States since 2005. Roberts has authored the majority opinion in several landmark cases, including '' Nat ...
issued a statement, memorializing Roll as "a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge, for more than 35 years", adding "his death is a somber reminder of the importance of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it".
Other plaudits came from Senator
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...
, who had recommended Roll for appointment to the federal bench; from Pima County Sheriff
Clarence Dupnik; and from Bishop
Gerald Kicanas of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson ( la, Dioecesis Tucsonensis, es, Diócesis de Tucson) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southwestern region of the United States. It is a suffragan see of the Metro ...
, who noted that Roll was an active parishioner who "lived his faith".
Then-Chief Judge
Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski (; born July 23, 1950) is a Romanian-American jurist and lawyer who was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1985 to 2017. He was a prominent and influential judge, and many of his law clerks went on to ...
of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
, whose jurisdiction included Arizona, stated that "Judge Roll was a widely respected jurist, a strong and able leader of his court, and a kind, courteous and sincere gentleman".
President
Barack 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 ...
commented on Roll's death in his statement issued after the shooting, noting that Roll "served America's legal system for almost 40 years".
Jared Lee Loughner was charged by federal prosecutors with Roll's murder. Evidence gathered by federal investigators indicates that Giffords was Loughner's main target. Roll was apparently not specifically targeted – Loughner might not have even known who he was. Roll lived in the area, and had attended the event to continue a prior conversation with Giffords about the volume of cases in Arizona Federal courts.
Roll was the first federal judge murdered in office since
Robert Smith Vance
Robert Smith Vance Sr. (May 10, 1931 – December 16, 1989) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and later the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He was one of three ...
in 1989.
[ Chief Judge ]Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski (; born July 23, 1950) is a Romanian-American jurist and lawyer who was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1985 to 2017. He was a prominent and influential judge, and many of his law clerks went on to ...
of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District ...
selected Larry Alan Burns
Larry Alan Burns (born June 29, 1954) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
Early life and education
Born in Pasadena, California as Larry Alan Cockburn, his last ...
, a judge of the Southern District Court of California, to be the presiding judge over Loughner's trial, after all federal judges in Arizona recused themselves because of their ties to Roll.
See also
* List of assassinated American politicians
This is a list of assassinated American politicians sorted alphabetically. They were elected or appointed to office, or were candidates for public office.
There are 53 assassinated American politicians listed. The most common method of homicide w ...
* List of United States federal judges killed in office
The following is a list of United States federal judges who were killed in office.
John P. Slough
John P. Slough was appointed by President Andrew Johnson to serve as chief justice of the New Mexico Territorial Supreme Court. In 1867 William Log ...
* 2011 Tucson shooting
On January 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords and 18 others were shot during a constituent meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Casas Adobes, Arizona, in the Tucson metropolitan area. Six people were killed, including feder ...
References
External links
FJC Bio
Chief U.S. District Judge John M. Roll, 1947–2011
at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts
The Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO) is the Administration (government), administrative Government agency, agency of the United States federal courts, United States federal court system, established in 1939. The central suppo ...
John Roll
at Judgepedia
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roll, John McCarthy
1947 births
2011 deaths
2011 murders in the United States
2011 Tucson shooting
20th-century American judges
21st-century American judges
American Roman Catholics
American murder victims
American prosecutors
Arizona Republicans
Arizona state court judges
Assassinated American judges
Assistant United States Attorneys
Deaths by firearm in Arizona
James E. Rogers College of Law alumni
Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
Lawyers from Pittsburgh
People murdered in Arizona
Superior court judges in the United States
United States district court judges appointed by George H. W. Bush
University of Arizona alumni
University of Virginia School of Law alumni