James T. Vaughn, Jr. informed Governor John Carney Tuesday of his intention to step down as Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court effective May 1, 2023.
In his letter to the Governor, Justice Vaughn wrote, “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve since 1998 as a Superior Court judge and Supreme Court Justice. I will always appreciate the memories of working with my colleagues on the bench and with court staff in our efforts to maintain the rule of law in this state. I leave with a sense of satisfaction that I have done my best to discharge the duties of the judicial offices I have held.”
Justice Vaughn, 73, first joined the bench in 1998 as the Resident Judge for Kent County Superior Court. He was later elevated to the position of President Judge of the Superior Court in 2004. Gov. Jack Markell then appointed him to the Supreme Court in October 2014.
“Like his father, Justice Vaughn has served our State and its citizens with great distinction,” said Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr. “As former Chief Justice Veasey has remarked, Justice Vaughn has a straight-forward/no-nonsense approach to the Rule of Law. The Court will miss his hard work, steady hand and unflappable nature.” The elder Vaughn was a longtime state legislator.
Before joining the bench, Justice Vaughn spent 22 years as an attorney in private practice in civil and criminal law.
Vaughn also served as a member of the Clayton Town Council from 1979 – 1989, including three years as President. He was then elected to the Smyrna School Board, serving from 1989 – 1994, including three years as that board’s president.
Vaughn, a U.S. Army veteran and Delaware native, received his B.A. from Duke University, graduating magna cum laude in 1971 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976. He graduated from J.B. Moore High School in Smyrna in 1967.
