A Winona County district judge has been reprimanded for failing to supervise her law clerk, signing off on inaccurate time sheets and making derogatory comments through e-mail about attorneys while court was in session.

Judge Mary Carroll Leahy was publicly reprimanded Thursday by the Minnesota Board on Judicial Standards. Leahy chose not to demand a formal hearing and told the board she had no basis to criticize the findings.

"The Board directs Judge Leahy to determine and address the causes of her conduct," read a memorandum attached to the reprimand. "If this conduct continues, the Board will consider whether additional discipline is appropriate."

Leahy and her clerk engaged in "inappropriate use of judicial branch e-mails," the board found. They disparaged attorneys and Sheriff's Department employees, sometimes while court was in session, and made light of criminal charges and trial proceedings.

In an e-mail with the subject line "Shoot me already," Leahy wrote that one attorney was "an awful attorney" and called another party a "most obnoxious mean man," according to the reprimand.

Leahy admitted to the board the e-mails were inappropriate and said she should have chosen her words "more carefully."

The board also found that Leahy did not properly supervise her clerk even after receiving notice of the importance of policy compliance. Between Dec. 12, 2018, and March 5, 2019, Leahy allowed her clerk to rack up 50.5 work hours that could not be accounted for.

The clerk was paid for hours not worked and did not always take appropriate leave time when necessary. Leahy did not properly review and approve the time sheets to ensure they were accurate, according to the reprimand.

In her defense to the board, Leahy did not dispute the findings but noted she was trying to make work accommodations for her clerk, who was "going through a difficult time."

The judge previously received a private admonition in 2015 for using her office to advance her personal interests, the public reprimand shows.

Leahy used her judicial e-mail address to message parents of Winona High School students to rally them against a school administration proposal to eliminate a speech class.

Ryan Faircloth • 612-673-4234

Twitter: @ryanfaircloth