John Roll

Who was John Roll?

John McCarthy Roll was a United States federal judge who served on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona from 1991 until his death 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, Roll began his career as a court bailiff in Arizona and became an assistant city attorney of Tucson, Arizona in 1973. Later that year, Roll became a deputy county attorney for Pima County, Arizona until 1980, when he began serving as an assistant United States Attorney 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 died after being shot along with 18 others while attending a constituent outreach event held by U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords in Casas Adobes, near Tucson, Arizona.