--- title: "John Richard Smoak Jr. | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-richard-smoak-jr-3030" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # John Richard Smoak Jr. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida · U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida - State: Florida - Role: U.S. District 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, 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 ## 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 and still photography Scope: 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. Evidence excerpt: 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 allowed [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3030/john-richard-smoak-jr/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3030/john-richard-smoak-jr/) - [U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3030/john-richard-smoak-jr/) - [Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.450, Media and Still Photography Coverage](https://ninthcircuit.org/florida-rule-judicial-administration-2450) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3030/john-richard-smoak-jr/) - [Smoak, John Richard, Jr. | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/smoak-john-richard-jr) - [John Smoak - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_Smoak) - [Wikidata: John Richard Smoak, Jr.](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6254759) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-richard-smoak-jr-3030", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-richard-smoak-jr-3030", "name": "John Richard Smoak Jr. | KnowJudges", "description": "John Richard Smoak Jr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. 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[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.