Federal judge retires after leave for alcoholism care

BATON ROUGE, LA. » A federal judge in Louisiana has retired several months after taking medical leave for treatment of severe alcoholism, a condition that came to light only after a series of mysterious interruptions in her courtroom.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi’s disability retirement took effect on Monday, said Tony Moore, clerk of court for the Western District of Louisiana.

Court records unsealed in April revealed Minaldi, 58, was required to get treatment for alcoholism so severe that a colleague asked a court to rule she cannot take care of herself.

An Associated Press investigation showed Minaldi’s pattern of unusual behavior on the bench preceding her removal from a string of cases last year.

In February 2016, Minaldi was pulled off a man’s fraud case following a series of mistakes in routine trial procedures. Court documents released at the AP’s request showed that even basic requirements — like telling jurors the burden of proof lies with prosecutors, not the defense — weren’t followed.

The next month, the district’s chief judge removed Minaldi from criminal cases against a sheriff and several subordinates. No explanation was given, though the order came four days after Minaldi abruptly adjourned a hearing to accept guilty pleas by two sheriff’s deputies. The two deputies wound up pleading guilty later that same day before another judge.

In December, a criminal trial in Minaldi’s courtroom was cut short without explanation before a jury could be picked to hear a child pornography case. A transcript unsealed last month at the AP’s request shows the proceedings ended with a defense attorney asking to speak with Minaldi privately in her chambers.

Court officials haven’t explained those secretive interruptions in her courtroom. Scores of other cases originally assigned to Minaldi already have been transferred to other judges, also without a detailed explanation.