John Richard Smoak Jr. at a glance
- Current role
- U.S. District Judge
- Jurisdiction
- Florida · Federal
- Judicial service
- Active
John Richard Smoak Jr.
U.S. District Judge · U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
Service record and verification
Judicial service and assignments
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida · U.S. District Judge · Active · November 3, 2005–present · Assignment source ↗
Appointment and verification
- Source authority
- CourtListener / Free Law Project
Biography
Professional career
- Judge, District Court, N.D. Florida, 2005-present
- John Richard Smoak Jr. (1943–2022) was a U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Florida, appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005 and known for notable free speech rulings
Education
- University of Florida College of Law in — J.D. (1972)
- United States Military Academy — B.S. (1965)
- Fredric G. Levin College of Law
Additional information
- John Richard Smoak Jr. was born May 11, 1943 in Columbus, Georgia, and died May 2, 2022 in Panama City, Florida, at age 78.
- In 2015, Chief Judge M. Casey Rodgers reassigned all of Smoak’s cases to other judges
- Private practice, Florida, 1973-2005
- Before joining the federal judiciary, Smoak practiced law in Florida from 1973 to 2005
- U.S. Army (1965–1970), including tours in Vietnam
- Date of birth: 1943-01-01
- Birth place: Columbus, GA
Applicable Court Rules & Procedures
Media And Still Photography
Statewide
Electronic media and still-photography coverage is allowed in Florida public trial and appellate proceedings under Rule 2.450's equipment and conduct standards, always subject to the presiding judge's control of decorum, distractions, and fair administration.
Subject at all times to the authority of the presiding judge to: (i) control the conduct of proceedings before the court; (ii) ensure decorum and prevent distractions; and (iii) ensure the fair administration of justice in the pending cause, electronic media and still photography coverage of public judicial proceedings in the appellate and trial courts of this state shall be allowedFlorida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage ↗
Published courtroom rules
Shared court rules
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. 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 ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
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 ↗ · Collected 2026-10-27Sources
Identity source checked June 30, 2026.
Biography sources checked August 2, 2026.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida current judicial profile
Identity source · HTML · CourtListener / Free Law Project · effective November 3, 2005 · Source checked August 2, 2026
View U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida current judicial profile ↗Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage
Statewide source · HTML · Supreme Court of Florida · Source checked July 26, 2026
View Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage ↗