C. Darnell Jones II

Lawyer and teacher

Jones served with the Defender Association of Philadelphia from 1975 to 1987. He was a trial attorney from 1976 to 1987; and served as assistant chief of the Family Court Division (1979 to 1985) and as its chief from 1985 to 1987, representing indigent juveniles. He was an adjunct professor at St. Joseph's University School of Criminal Justice from 1991 to 1992, 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][16][11][12][13][14]}

Philadelphia court of common pleas

In 1987, after a number of judges were removed from Pennsylvania's First Judicial District in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for corruption, Governor Robert P. Casey, Sr. nominated replacement judges to Pennsylvania's State Senate, including Jones. The senate did not accept three of Casey's nominations, including Jones, Legrome D. Davis, and John W. Herron. These three, along with Casey nominees Mark I. Bernstein, and Edward R. Summers, chose to run in elections for the Court of Common Pleas later that year, ultimately winning their elections in 1987. They are sometimes referred to as the "Casey Five". Casey had chosen Davis, Herron, and Jones without the input of any political party leaders; and though running as Democrats, the three were not endorsed by any political party in the election. Moreover, all five were actively opposed by some Democratic party leaders, such as state senator Vincent Fumo and Bob Brady; difficult obstacles to overcome in Philadelphia judicial elections. However, they did receive support from office holders Mayor Wilson Goode and District Attorney Ronald D. Castille, along with former District Attorney Ed Rendell who was running for mayor against Goode; in addition to Casey's endorsement and active support.^{[17][18][19][20][16][21]}

Jones was a judge on the Court of Common Pleas from 1987 to 2008, serving as president judge from 2006 to 2008. In 2007, with the support of then Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, among others, and the endorsement of major newspapers across Pennsylvania, Jones ran as a Democrat for a position on the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; but was unsuccessful in the primary election.^[22][23][3] While president judge, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court appointed Jones to serve as chair of the Administrative Governing Board of the First Judicial District, which co-ordinates all of the courts within that judicial district. During his time on the Court of Common Pleas, Jones 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.^[24][5]

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.^[25] As a business court judge nationally, he was a director of the American College of Business Court Judges.^[12] He also served as a Business Court Representative to the American Bar Association's Business Law Section.^[26]

Federal judicial service

With the support of Pennsylvania's United States Senators Robert P. Casey Jr. (the son of Governor Robert Casey who had nominated Jones for a judgeship in 1987) and Arlen Spector, on July 24, 2008, Jones was nominated by President George W. Bush to the 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.^[27][28] Jones fully retired upon turning 73 in late 2022.^[29]