One year after the Tucson shooting that killed six people and wounded 13, federal judges in Arizona honored the late Chief Judge John M. Roll, who was among victims slain while attending a constituent gathering sponsored by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Judges of the United States District Court, District of Arizona, held the special session on Friday to celebrate the memory of Roll, who died on January 8, 2011, at the age of 63.
A graduate of the University of Arizona College of Law, Chief Judge Roll built a distinguished legal career in Tucson, working as a state and federal prosecutor before joining the bench in 1987. His first appointment was to the Arizona Court of Appeals – Division Two. In 1991, Chief Judge Roll joined the federal bench after appointment by President George H.W. Bush. He was elevated to chief judge of the District of Arizona in 2006. He served as the chief judge from 2006 until his death.
Chief Justice John Roberts, Jr. praised Roll as "a wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction, as attorney and judge for 35 years." In tribute to Roll, flags were lowered at federal courthouses across the country. Last summer, ground was broken on the new John M. Roll Courthouse in Yuma, Arizona.
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