John Sirica was the judge in the Watergate scandal. He was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 1957 and served as Chief Judge from 1971 to 1974. He is best known for his role in the Watergate scandal, where he presided over the trials of the Watergate burglars and issued a subpoena to President Richard Nixon for the White House tapes. He also ordered the release of the tapes, which ultimately led to Nixon's resignation.