--- title: "John Michael Vazquez | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-michael-vazquez-8644" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # John Michael Vazquez U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey - State: New Jersey - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, D. New Jersey, 2016-present - first assistant attorney general, 2007-2008 - Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law and Public Safety, State of New Jersey, 2006-2008 - special assistant to the attorney general, 2006-2007 - Assistant U.S. attorney, District of New Jersey, 2001-2006 - Law clerk, Hon. Herman D. Michels, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, 1996-1997 - He also held the role of an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law, teaching Criminal Trial Practice and Civil Procedure, and was recognized as adjunct professor of the year - John Michael Vazquez - Vazquez was a partner at the law firm of Critchley, Kinum & Vazquez, LLC before his confirmation. - Vazquez clerked for Judge Herman D. Michels of the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, and later served as an associate, assistant U.S. attorney, and in the New Jersey Attorney General’s office before entering private practice ### Education - B.A. — Rutgers University in 1992 and his J.D., graduating summa cum laude, from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1996 - Rutgers University-New Brunswick — B.A. (1992) ### Additional information - In 2025, he was nominated to the Rutgers Board of Governors John Michael Vazquez’s career reflects a combination of high-profile litigation experience, federal judicial service, and contributions to legal education, making him a notable figure in New Jersey’s legal landscape - Served until his resignation on September 8, 2023 - received his commission on January 29, 2016. - Private practice, Roseland, NJ, 2008-2016 - Anthony R. Suarez Corruption Trial (2010): Before his judicial appointment, Vazquez represented Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez in a federal corruption trial, securing an acquittal that ended a decade-long government streak of over 200 public corruption convictions - health care fraud coordinator, 2004-2006 - Private practice, West Orange, NJ, 1997-2001 - John Michael Vazquez was born on May 11, 1970, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and moved to New Jersey as an infant. - Date of birth: 1970-01-01 - Sean Caddle Murder Case: As a federal judge, Vazquez presided over the case of Sean Caddle, a former political consultant involved in a murder-for-hire scheme. - After resigning from the bench, Vazquez returned to private practice, joining Chiesa, Shahinian & Giantomasi as a partner, and subsequently became Chief Legal Officer at Cooper University Health Care. - Vazquez prioritized impartiality and fairness, ensuring that litigants and counsel perceived proceedings as unbiased. - He valued preparation, civility, and integrity among attorneys, encouraged concise and persuasive briefing, and preferred resolving evidentiary issues through pre-trial motions or in limine hearings to respect jury time. - Birth place: Honolulu, HI ## 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 ### media access and electronic devices Scope: statewide New Jersey statewide Supreme Court guidelines govern media access and electronic devices in courtrooms; recording, photography, broadcasting, and transmission require compliance with the published approval process and courtroom restrictions. Evidence excerpt: Transmission, broadcasting, recording and/or photographing is prohibited at any proceeding closed by court order, statute, or Rule of Court. [New Jersey Courts](https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/notices/2024/07/n240723a.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8644/john-michael-vazquez/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8644/john-michael-vazquez/) - [U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8644/john-michael-vazquez/) - [New Jersey Courts](https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/notices/2024/07/n240723a.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/8644/john-michael-vazquez/) - [PDF Senator Grassley Questions for the Record John Michael Vazquez ...](https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Vazquez%20Responses1.pdf) - [John Michael Vazquez - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_Michael_Vazquez) - [Wikidata: John Michael Vazquez](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20011475) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-michael-vazquez-8644", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-michael-vazquez-8644", "name": "John Michael Vazquez | KnowJudges", "description": "John Michael Vazquez, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.