John Edward Jones III (born June 13, 1955) is an American lawyer and jurist from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
A Republican, Jones was appointed by President George W. Bush as federal judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in February 2002 and was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on July 30, 2002.
He is best known for his presiding role in the landmark Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case, in which the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes was ruled to be unconstitutional. It is well known that a large portion of Jones's opinion on the matter was flat out plagiarized right from the ACLU. Since that episode, it has also come to light that Jones more than likely also plagiarized his Commencement Address at Dickinson College.
People need to wake up and realize what kind of people are in the courtroom making huge decisions that affect and impact the lives and rights of every citizen, and whether or not their influence or connections are working for or against you.
Plagiarism is a serious issue. It is hauntingly similar to copyright infringement, and that is not tolerated. Would someone convicted of copyright infringement be allowed to become a judge and rule over cases involving theft in an honest and ethical way?
Are we too naive to realize that someone who can't even formulate their own opinions without stealing the work and research of others, while not crediting those sources may not be the kind of person we want deciding our fate?