Thomas E. Delahanty II, former Maine judge and U.S. attorney, dies at 75

Matt Byrne, Portland Press Herald, Maine
·2 min read

Apr. 14—Thomas E. Delahanty II, a legal titan in Maine whose career as a prosecutor and judge spanned more than four decades, died this week, a state official confirmed Wednesday.

Delahanty's death was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Maine judiciary.

James Howeniec, Lewiston's former mayor and a defense attorney in Lewiston, said Delahanty died Tuesday from pancreatic cancer.

"He was a titan in our community (Lewiston)," said Howaniec, who has been practicing law for 35 years. "He was an incredibly intelligent man, who was gregarious and funny, who loved life, who loved his family and who loved law."

As a trial judge, Delahanty could come across as being gruff and demanding, but underneath was a fair-minded judge, who could be compassionate, Howaniec said.

Delahanty served as the U.S. Attorney for Maine from 2010 to 2017. A lifelong Democrat, Delahanty was appointed by Obama.

Verne Paradie, an Auburn attorney who knew Delahanty professionally, said he will remember Delahanty's sharp legal mind and his no-nonsense demeanor at trial.

"It was not uncommon for him to corner me and say, I have this very difficult defendant who I need an attorney for, and I'd like to appoint you," said Paradie on Wednesday. "When he meant it, he meant it."

"He was a great trial judge. If you asked any lawyer they'd be happy to tell you. He knew his stuff," Paradie said. "He was very strong in in evidentiary rulings."

Delahanty grew up in Lewiston, earned his undergraduate degree in Vermont and earned his law degree at the University of Maine School of Law in 1970. Following a short stint as a defense attorney, Delahanty joined the prosecutor's office in Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties in 1975.

His first stint as U.S. Attorney for Maine was between 1980 and 1981, when the-president Jimmy Carter appointed Delahanty to replace George Mitchell, who was appointed to the federal bench.

When Carter lost reelection to Ronald Reagan, Delahanty returned briefly to defense work for two years until he was appointed a justice of the Maine Superior Court, a position he held for 18 years, including five as chief justice, until he was named U.S. Attorney for the district of Maine by then-president Barack Obama in 2010.

Delahanty was among several U.S. attorneys who were removed from their posts in 2017 by the administration of Donald J. Trump. Delahanty returned to the state bench as an active-retired judge.

This story will be updated.

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