Michael Joseph Roche
Appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 and confirmed by voice vote, Michael Joseph Roche was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. He earned a law degree from Valparaiso University Law School in 1908. Rulings & record ↓ Sources ↓
- Lived
- 1878–1964
- Appointed by
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1935
- Confirmed
- by voice vote
- Education
- Valparaiso Law School 1908
- Succeeded
- Frank Henry Kerrigan
- Succeeded by
- Albert Charles Wollenberg
Federal judicial service
| Year | Court | Appointed by | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Northern District of California succeeded Frank Henry Kerrigan | F.D. Roosevelt (D) | Voice vote |
Party letters show the appointing president’s party, not the judge’s own. A voice vote means the chamber approved aloud. No senator-by-senator tally is recorded.
Confirmation vote
Voice vote
The Senate approved this confirmation aloud, with no senator-by-senator tally recorded. Recorded roll-call votes begin in 1989.
Education
| Valparaiso University Law School | LL.B. | 1908 |
Judicial Record
In our data, Roche authored 47 published opinions for the court (1936–1960). Most cited: Marshall v. Wyman (26 citations).
A selective record from published opinions in the CourtListener corpus, not every ruling; most unpublished district orders are not included. Counts and rankings are objective and recomputable: how we count. We describe the record, not the judge.
Recent & notable rulings
| Year | Case | Citation | Cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Marshall v. Wyman | 132 F. Supp. 169 | 26 |
| 1948 | Cerri v. United States | 80 F. Supp. 831 | 26 |
| 1943 | Robinson v. Johnston | 50 F. Supp. 774 | 21 |
| 1954 | United States v. Mendoza | 122 F. Supp. 367 | 17 |
| 1954 | United States v. Niles | 122 F. Supp. 382 | 17 |
| 1952 | United States v. Shipowners & Merchants Tugboat Co. | 103 F. Supp. 152 | 17 |
| 1956 | Pearsall v. Folsom | 138 F. Supp. 939 | 16 |
| 1959 | Associated Engineers, Inc. v. American National Fire Insurance | 175 F. Supp. 352 | 14 |
| 1943 | Hendricks v. Di Giorgio Fruit Corporation | 49 F. Supp. 573 | 12 |
| 1938 | Nevada-California Electric Corporation v. Corbett | 22 F. Supp. 951 | 12 |
| 1958 | National Welding Equipment Co. v. Hammon Precision Equipment Co. | 165 F. Supp. 788 | 10 |
| 1952 | Williams v. United States | 105 F. Supp. 208 | 10 |
| 1946 | Ex Parte Drainer | 65 F. Supp. 410 | 10 |
| 1955 | Speedling v. Hobby | 132 F. Supp. 833 | 9 |
| 1940 | United States v. Schneiderman | 33 F. Supp. 510 | 9 |
Showing the 15 most-cited of 47 authored opinions in our data. “Cited” is inbound citations across the CourtListener corpus. Case links open the ruling’s full text (CourtListener) or its page here; read the methodology and verify against the primary source.
Questions & answers
- Who appointed Michael Joseph Roche?
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Michael Joseph Roche to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in 1935.
- Was Michael Joseph Roche appointed by a Democrat or a Republican?
- Michael Joseph Roche was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat. JudicialFinder records the appointing president's party, not a judge's own politics.
- What was Michael Joseph Roche's confirmation vote?
- Michael Joseph Roche was confirmed by voice vote on August 23, 1935. No senator-by-senator tally was recorded.
- Which court was Michael Joseph Roche on?
- Michael Joseph Roche was a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Sources
Each fact on this page traces to a primary public record.
- FJC Biographical Directory
- Wikidata
- CourtListener bulk data (Free Law Project): authored opinions & citation counts
How we source & reconcile data → Data & Sources
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28 years on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Data as of 2026-08-10. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).