Judge John P. Collins, Jr., who as a federal prosecutor in the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office supervised the apprehension of a key witness in the Dublin murder trial of Aaron Brady - who was later convicted of the capital murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe - has been nominated by both the Democratic and Conservative Parties as a candidate for Supreme Court Justice in the 9th Judicial District.
The 9th Judicial District covers the geographical area of Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Duchtess Counties, totaling 2,493 square miles with a population of 2,677,000. It is the largest judicial district in New York.
At present, Collins is a Judge of the City Court in White Plains and is President of the NYS City Court Judges Association, comprised of approximately 180 judges.
According to a release, Collins grew up in the Bronx and attended St. Gabriel grade school before entering Regis High School. He received his BA degree, summa cum laude, from Columbia College and his JD degree from Yale.
After graduation he clerked in the United States District Court, SDNY and for the Chief Judge of the First Circuit, US Court of Appeals, in Boston and Puerto Rico. He also worked for two years for now Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
From 2000 to 2017, he was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. During his federal service, Collins was awarded the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Award as well as the Justice Department’s Award for Superior Performance.
Later, he served as a Court Attorney-Referee in the Supreme Court, Westchester and Rockland Counties.
The judge’s late mother, Ellen, nee Hughes, was from Tuam, County Galway and his paternal grandparents were both from County Limerick. Starting at age nine months, he was a regular visitor to Ireland.
Judge Collins is married to Judge Mary Jo Blanchard and is the father of teenage twins.
His father is a retired Judge from Bronx Supreme Court.
At an earlier time, Collins Senior was active in Irish affairs as the President of the County Limerick Association, Vice-President of the United Irish Counties Association, Director of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and National Chairman of the American Irish National Immigration Committee which was formed in response to the 1965 U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.
Election Day is on Tuesday, November 4.
