Judge Mary Leahy of Winona, MN; repeat offender

The state of Minnesota presented Mary Carroll Leahy a law license in 1990 after she graduated from Hamline University School of Law.

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty was duped into appointing Mary as a Winona County District Court Judge in 2005. Mary didn’t get the appointment because she was the most qualified candidate in the greater Winona County area, she received it because she had proven to be a reliable lackey for the local political hacks.

The Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards found Judge Leahy guilty of the following misconduct.

Mary’s 1^st bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree

• Abused prestige of her judicial office to advance her personal interests
• Sent two emails from her judicial email address to parents of Winona High School students to rally them against a school administration proposal to eliminate the speech class

As a direct consequence of her misconduct, the cheerleaders for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Board on Judicial Standards punished Mary by gifting her with a complimentary private admonition.

Mary’s 2^nd bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree

• Failed to properly supervise a law clerk
• Approved inaccurate timesheets for court employee
• Sent inappropriate emails that included derogatory comments about attorneys while they were presenting arguments in court
• Committed serious misconduct

As a direct consequence of her misconduct, the cheerleaders for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Board on Judicial Standards punished Mary by gifting her with a complimentary reprimand.

As we speak (ca. April 2020), Mary continues to sit as a Winona County District Court Judge in Winona, Minnesota.