The Minnesota Supreme Court has chosen to discipline — but not fire — a judge who received a deep discount on his legal bills after steering cases to his own divorce attorney.
District Judge Timothy Blakely, who hears cases in Dakota and Goodhue counties, will be suspended from the bench for six months without pay, the state's highest court ruled in an opinion filed Thursday. Blakely earns more than $123,000 annually.
The suspension begins immediately. He also is publicly reprimanded as an attorney and cannot return to legal work until the suspension is over.
"In essence, he cannot practice law for six months, be it as a judge or as a lawyer," said Martin Cole, director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.
The U.S. attorney's office opened a separate inquiry into whether Blakely's actions constituted mail fraud, but it is unclear if a federal grand jury was ever convened, said Doug Kelley, an attorney for the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards.
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Supreme Court Suspends Dakota County Judge for Six Months Without Pay
7 comments:
Well, wadda 'ya know? His very own piggy bank - appointment powers!
Isn't that patronage?
Yes, AntiShyster, good old fashioned pay to play!
Blakely earns more than $123K annually -- and that doesn't include kickbacks, huh?
I like to see it when judges are accountable for their actions.
6 months will no pay will teach Timothy Blakely a small lesson at least.
More and more stories of fraud and corruption of all kinds are coming from Minnesota!
It's pretty scary!
What a shameful example Judge Timothy Blakely is to society. I have to wonder how the younger generation is affected in a bad way. Shame on you judge for selling out your judicial position. Was it worth the consequences and your reputation?
Funny how judges almost always get only a slap on the wrist for their crimes.
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