December 1, 2019: He Became Chief Judge of Rhode Island.

On December 1, 2019, Clerk of Court Hanorah Tyer-Witek issued a court notice: “Effective December 1, 2019, the Honorable John J. McConnell, Jr. assumed the position of Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.” He succeeded Judge William E. Smith, who had served as chief judge from December 1, 2013, through November 30, 2019.

The Federal Judicial Center directory and the court biography both record that he has served as chief judge from 2019 to the present (as checked August 26, 2026). FJC also records membership on the Judicial Conference of the United States, 2026–present. That is an administrative title. It is not a ruling on the freeze case.

By statute the chief judge is the most senior active district judge under 65 who has not previously served as chief. The clerk notice states the term is seven years. The notice is identity and office. It is not a finding about later impeachment articles.