Thomas E. Delahanty II truly deserved to be called ‘your honor’
With extensive experience as a district attorney, U.S attorney and lawyer in private practice, Delahanty thoroughly understood the justice system.
By Elliott EpsteinSpecial to the Sun Journal
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The April 12 death of former Maine Chief Superior Court Justice and U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II ended a distinguished 50-year legal career and caused me, in addition to a sense of personal loss, to contemplate the vital importance of trial judges in this country and state. The pivotal role played by Minnesota Judge Peter Cahill in the recently concluded trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis policeman convicted for the murder George Floyd, reinforced my thinking.
Letter to the editor: Late U.S. attorney’s father taught Maine lawyers by example
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I read with great pride and affection your front-page article April 15 about Thomas E. Delahanty II, who passed away recently. All of the comments were accurate, as he was a true giant in Maine law. In college his brother John, also a lawyer and who passed away two months before him, was my first choice to join our fraternity. Just a few years later, I would be honored to be selected as the clerk to their dad, Thomas Delahanty the first, who was then chief justice of the Superior Court. His oldest son, Tom II, would become district attorney for three counties and then United States attorney, a very prestigious job, twice.
Obituary: Thomas E. Delahanty II
FALMOUTH - Former Superior Court Chief Justice and United States Attorney, Thomas E. Delahanty II, passed away at home in Falmouth .
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Thomas E. Delahanty II
FALMOUTH – Former Superior Court Chief Justice and United States Attorney, Thomas E. Delahanty II, passed away at home in Falmouth on Monday, April 12, 2021, in the company of his wife of 50 years, Ruth Konecki Delahanty, and his sons Patrick and Michael. Justice Delahanty fought a tough battle with pancreatic cancer and its various side effects for more than a year.
Tom was born in Lewiston on June 6, 1945, as the first son of Thomas and Jeanne (Clifford) Delahanty. He grew up in Lewiston and lived there until building a new home and moving to Falmouth in 2002. He graduated from St. Patrick Grammar School and Lewiston High School where he was a member of the 1960 State Championship football team and made a reputation as a very good placekicker, but often reminded people that