---
title: "John Carbone Porfilio | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-carbone-porfilio"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-09"
---

# John Carbone Porfilio

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge

## Profile

- Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- State: National federal courts
- Role: U.S. Circuit Judge
- Service status: senior
- Last verified: 2026-07-25

## Summary

Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, District Court, D. Colorado, 1982-1985
- U.S. District Judge, District of Colorado (1982–1985), nominated by President Ronald Reagan on May 18, 1982, confirmed June 24, 1982
- U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, District of Colorado, 1975-1982
- Attorney general, State of Colorado, 1972-1975
- Deputy attorney general, State of Colorado, 1968-1972
- Assistant attorney general, State of Colorado, 1962-1968
- Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- As of now, Judge Porfilio is on senior status and no longer actively serves on the Tenth Circuit

### Education

- Honorary Doctor of Law degree from the University of Denver in 2000.
- University of Denver College of Law (now Sturm College of Law) — LL.B. (1959)
- University of Denver — B.A. (1956)

### Additional information

- Assumed senior status on October 15, 1999
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (1985–1999), nominated April 5, 1985, confirmed May 3, 1985
- In 1996, he legally reverted to his birth name, John Carbone Porfilio.
- Private practice, Denver, CO, 1959-1962
- Private practice, Denver, Colorado, 1959-1962
- Practiced law in Denver from 1959 to 1962.
- Date of birth: 1934-01-01
- Porfilio was born in Denver, Colorado, and his name was later changed to John Porfilio Moore after his mother remarried and his stepfather adopted him.
- Porfilio held the role of a guest lecturer at the University of Denver College of Law and was involved in Colorado law enforcement training.
- Birth place: Denver, CO

## Before you appear

- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.
- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.
- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

## Courtroom Rules

### appellate oral argument

Scope: courtwide

In federal courts of appeals, oral argument is allowed unless a three-judge panel unanimously finds one of Rule 34's specified grounds for dispensing with it; the clerk provides the date, time, place, and time allocation.

Evidence excerpt: Oral argument must be allowed in every case unless a panel of three judges who have examined the briefs and record unanimously agrees that oral argument is unnecessary

[Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure)
Source checked: 2026-07-26


## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386476)
- [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386476)
- [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386476)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2599/john-carbone-porfilio/)
- [Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 34, Oral Argument](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-appellate-procedure)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2599/john-carbone-porfilio/)
- [Judge John Carbone Porfilio](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386476)
- [Wikidata: John Carbone Porfilio](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6225095)

## JSON-LD

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebPage",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-carbone-porfilio",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-carbone-porfilio",
      "name": "John Carbone Porfilio | KnowJudges",
      "description": "John Carbone Porfilio, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.",
      "dateModified": "2026-10-09",
      "isPartOf": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website"
      },
      "mainEntity": {
        "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-carbone-porfilio#judge"
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-carbone-porfilio#judge",
      "name": "John Carbone Porfilio",
      "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-carbone-porfilio",
      "jobTitle": "U.S. Circuit Judge",
      "worksFor": {
        "@type": "GovernmentOrganization",
        "name": "U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit"
      },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1386476",
        "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2599/john-carbone-porfilio/"
      ],
      "birthDate": "1934",
      "birthPlace": "Denver, CO",
      "alumniOf": [
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "University of Denver"
        },
        {
          "@type": "EducationalOrganization",
          "name": "University of Denver College of Law (now Sturm College of Law)"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
      "itemListElement": [
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 1,
          "name": "KnowJudges",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 2,
          "name": "National federal courts",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/national-federal-courts"
        },
        {
          "@type": "ListItem",
          "position": 3,
          "name": "John Carbone Porfilio",
          "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-carbone-porfilio"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```