The Hon. John W. Sweeny, Jr. (Ret.) was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department. He was appointed to the Appellate Division by former Governor George Pataki in 2004. He retired in 2019.
Sweeny joined the Unified Court System after being elected judge for the Putnam County Court Multi-Bench in 1987. In addition to serving on the Multi-Bench, he was also designated to serve as an acting justice of the New York Supreme Court. Then, in 2000, he became a justice of the New York Supreme Court, where he served as the senior resident justice for Putnam County.
Sweeny received an A.B. in government from the University of Notre Dame in 1971. He went on to earn a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1974.
Prior to his election to the bench, he was serving as a confidential law secretary to the Hon. Fred A. Dickinson, justice of the New York Supreme Court (1978 to 1986).
Sweeny also briefly served as a chief assistant district attorney with the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office (1977). He joined the District Attorney’s Office after working as a confidential law secretary for the Hon. John P. Donohoe, justice of the New York Supreme Court. He also briefly practiced at McCann, Ahearn & Sommers, P.C. (1974 to 1975).
He received the Employment Support Award from the Department of the Army Reserve in 2010 for an act of kindness he showed in support of an active-duty soldier. Sweeny was also awarded the Distinguished Service Award (2013) by the Stephen P. Driscoll Lodge of New York State Fraternal Order of Police, the FDNY members from Putnam County, the Knights of Columbus Lodge 6318, the VFW, and the Putnam County Bureau of Emergency Services.
His memberships included the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the New York State Bar Association, the Putnam County Bar Association, the Association of Family Court Judges of the State of New York (board of directors), the Putnam County Jury Board (former chairman), the Putnam County Law Library (former chair of the board of trustees), the Statewide Rules and Advisory Committee, and the Ninth Judicial District Committee to Promote Gender Fairness in the Courts.
Sweeny also served as an appointed member of the Task Force on Reducing Delay in Civil Litigation and the Jury Trial Project.
From a civic standpoint, he served as a past-president of the Putnam Chapter of the American Cancer Society and the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick. In addition, he was a member of the Putnam County Arts Council (board member), the BPOE Lodge 201, and Legal Explorer Post (former director).