KYJKnow Your Judge v0.6.2by SwansLake
Judge directoryJohn R. Roach, Jr.

Active Trial judge

John R. Roach, Jr.

Texas 296th District Court

Texas · Collin

Identity verifiedOfficial profile locatedOfficial sources collectedPresentation intelligence
01

Overview

Identity and service

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

Judicial role
District Judge, Collin County 296th District Court (general jurisdiction)
Service status
Active
Court level
Trial
Jurisdiction
State
02

Background

Biography and career

Gender
Male
Race
White
Political affiliation
Republican (via other)

Education

  • St Mary's UniversityJD, 1997
  • The University of Texas at AustinPolitical Science & Government, 1994

Professional career

  • District Attorney, Collin County District Attorney's Office, Criminal Division, McKinney, TX, ?-present
  • adj-prof, Southern Methodist University, ?-present
  • Practitioner, Cowles & Thompson, P.C., ?-present
  • Managing Partner, Roach LLP, ?-present
  • Servicemember, U.S. Marine Corps, 1988-1996

Judicial service

  • Presiding Judge, Texas 296th Judicial District Court, McKinney, TX, 2007-2010
  • Presiding Judge, Texas 296th Judicial District Court, McKinney, TX, 2011-2014
  • Presiding Judge, Texas 296th Judicial District Court, McKinney, TX, 2015-2018
  • Presiding Judge, Texas 296th Judicial District Court, McKinney, TX, 2019-2022

Source: CourtListener / Free Law Project public biographical data. Demographic and political labels are incomplete, source-attributed, and are not used to infer judicial behavior. “Via appointer” describes CourtListener’s attribution method, not verified personal party membership.

03

Before you appear

Preparation checklist

  1. 01

    Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.

  2. 02

    Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.

  3. 03

    Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.

Scope note

Statewide and courtwide guidance is labeled by scope and is not evidence of a personal preference. Division, judge-specific, or case-specific orders may control.

04

Presentation rules

What the public sources say

CourtwideExplicit
Hearing Or Trial

Leave required

Photography, broadcasting, live streaming, and audio or video recording are prohibited in the Collin County courthouse unless a written court order specifically authorizes them.

Page
2
Section
Rule 1.2: Photographs, Broadcasting, Live Streaming, and Recordings
Effective
May 6, 2026
Last checked
July 28, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
No one may take photographs, broadcast, live stream, or make recordings (audio or video) in the courthouse, unless specifically authorized by written court order

The requirement is stated in current official court rules and is attached at court scope, not as a personal preference.

CourtwideExplicit
Pre-Hearing

Restricted

Before requesting a hearing setting, parties generally must confer in good faith. A unilateral request requires reasonable efforts that include at least two attempts to contact the other side.

Page
4
Section
Rule 3.1: Conference Requirement for Setting Hearings
Effective
May 6, 2026
Last checked
July 28, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
parties shall make a good-faith effort to confer and obtain agreement on a hearing date before requesting that the Court set a hearing

The requirement is stated in current official court rules and is attached at court scope, not as a personal preference.

StatewideExplicit
Civil Hearing Or Trial

Allowed with notice

In civil district and county court proceedings, the court may permit or require electronic participation after appropriate notice; compelled electronic participation for oral-testimony proceedings requires good cause or party agreement, and a jury trial requires party agreement.

Page
Official PDF
Section
Rule 21d(b)-(f); civil district and county courts only; current July 1, 2026 compilation
Effective
February 1, 2023
Last checked
July 26, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
Upon appropriate notice by a party or the court, a court may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means, except as otherwise provided in (2).

The requirement is stated in an official statewide source and is attached as applicable guidance, not as a personal preference.

StatewideExplicit
Civil Proceeding

Leave required

Civil district and county trial courts may permit courtroom recording or broadcasting only under Supreme Court guidelines, with the required party and witness consent, or for ceremonial proceedings.

Page
Official PDF
Section
Rule 18c; civil district and county courts only; current July 1, 2026 compilation
Last checked
July 26, 2026
Verification
Automated checks passed
Read supporting source excerpt
A trial court may permit broadcasting, televising, recording, or photographing of proceedings in the courtroom only in the following circumstances:

The requirement is stated in an official statewide source and is attached as applicable guidance, not as a personal preference.

05

Courtroom technology

Published equipment guidance

No technology specification indexed

Technology availability is separate from procedural permission and evidentiary admissibility.

06

Published opinion footprint

Decisions and citations

Opinion data is not yet indexed for this profile

This does not mean the judge has no published opinions or no caseload. KYJ will only show opinion counts after transparent, source-linked CourtListener matching is available.

07

Sources

Public documents behind this profile

08

Change history

How this profile entered KYJ

Current profile indexed

Identity imported from Collin County District Courts roster. 4 presentation-related claims migrated with source provenance.