Francis Caiazza

Long before he graduated from law school, Francis Caiazza had a passion for writing. But he put that dream on hold and instead pursed a legal career. After a two year tour of duty in the Army at the Judge Advocate’s office at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC, he hung out his shingle in a small Western Pennsylvania town. For sixteen years his practice centered on civil damage and criminal defense litigation as he honed his courtroom skills. He capped his career as a lawyer by arguing a case in the United States Supreme Court which involved an Amishman’s right to freely practice his religion.

The following day he was elected a state trial judge in Pennsylvania with the help of a ground-swelling of people who helped him overcome overwhelming odds. While on the state bench, he tried countless cases to verdict, including three murder cases and complex civil litigation, including medical malpractice, insurance, and product liability cases. While on the state bench, he authored many legal opinions, all the while still wondering whether he should have pursued his first love––writing.

In 1994 he was appointed to the federal bench. As a federal judge, he tried cases dealing with the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Civil Rights Act, and civil damage cases involving diversity litigation. He also wrote on federal habeas corpus writs––cases that test the reasons or grounds of a convicted inmates detention. During this phase of his legal career, he taught as an adjunct professor at the Duquesne University School of Law, his undergraduate alma mater.

While on the federal bench, he began in earnest to cater to his jealous mistress. Up at four in the morning before he made the short walk to the federal courthouse, he began to write a novel. Realizing that he needed help, Judge Caiazza conferred with writing coaches and editors, while testing the story’s plot with readers who offered criticism and suggestions. And he wrote about what he knew best––the law. Ten years later, The Rosecross was published. It’s a legal-political thriller. Judge Caiazza lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Roselee. They are the parents of three children. The Caiazza’s also have five grandchildren.