Ann Marie Donnelly (born 1959) is a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...
of the
.
Education
Donnelly received a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree in 1981 from the
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
and a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
in 1984 from the
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
The Michael E. Moritz College of Law is the Law school in the United States, law school of Ohio State University, a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1891, the school is ...
.
[President Obama Nominates Three to Serve on the United States District Courts](_blank)
White House Office of the Press Secretary
The White House Office of the Press Secretary, or the Press Office, is responsible for gathering and disseminating information to three principal groups: the president, the White House staff, and the media. The office is headed by the White House ...
(November 20, 2014).
Career
From 1984 to 2009, she was a prosecutor in the
New York County District Attorney
The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County, New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws (federal l ...
's office.
From 1997 to 2005, she served as senior trial counsel and from 2005 to 2009, she served as chief of the Family Violence and Child Abuse Bureau.
As an assistant district attorney, Donnelly successfully prosecuted former
Tyco International
Tyco International was a security systems company incorporated in the Republic of Ireland, with operational headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, United States (Tyco International (US) Inc.). Tyco International was composed of two major busin ...
CEO
L. Dennis Kozlowski
Leo Dennis Kozlowski (born November 16, 1946) is a former CEO of Tyco International, convicted in 2005 of crimes related to his receipt of $81 million in unauthorized bonuses, the purchase of art for $14.725 million and the payment by Tyco of a $ ...
for
securities fraud
Securities fraud, also known as stock fraud and investment fraud, is a deceptive practice in the stock or commodities markets that induces investors to make purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information.[grand larceny
Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Eng ...]
, among other crimes. Kozlowski served 8 1/2 years for his crimes. Donnelly was also part of the prosecution team in the
murder
Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...
trial of
Sante Kimes and her son, Kenneth Kimes.
State judicial service
From 2009 to 2015, she served as a judge of the
New York Court of Claims
The New York State Court of Claims is the court of the New York State Unified Court System which handles all claims against the State of New York and certain state agencies.
Judges
Judges of the Court of Claims are appointed by the Governor of ...
. Concurrently, she served at various points on the
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...
(the state
trial court
A trial court or court of first instance is a court having original jurisdiction, in which trials take place. Appeals from the decisions of trial courts are usually heard by higher courts with the power of appellate review (appellate courts). ...
) in
Bronx County
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County to its north; to its south and west, the New York City boro ...
,
Kings County Kings County or King's County may refer to:
Places Canada
*Kings County, New Brunswick
*Kings County, Nova Scotia
* Kings County, Prince Edward Island
** King's County (electoral district), abolished in 1892
Ireland
* County Offaly, formerly call ...
(Brooklyn), and
New York County
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...
(Manhattan), as well as on a special term for election matters.
As a state court judge, Donnelly presided over the trial of Adam Tang, a
day trader
Day trading is a form of speculation in securities in which a trader buys and sells a financial instrument within the same trading day. This means that that all positions are closed before the market closes for the trading day to avoid unmanag ...
convicted of
reckless endangerment
Endangerment is a type of crime involving conduct that is wrongful and reckless or wanton, and likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm to another person. There are several kinds of endangerment, each of which is a criminal act that can b ...
and reckless driving for his illegal high-speed
street racing
Street racing is an illegal form of motor racing that occurs on a public road. Racing in the streets is considered an ancient hazard, as horse racing occurred on streets for centuries, and street racing in automobiles is likely as old as the a ...
around
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
(circling the island in 24 minutes) and posting videos of the stunt on
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. After Tang fled the country during his trial, Donnelly issued a
warrant for his arrest and sentenced him ''
in absentia
''In Absentia'' is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on 24 September 2002. The album marked several changes for the band, with it being the first with new drummer Gavin Harrison and the f ...
'' to a year in jail.
Federal judicial service
On November 20, 2014, President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
nominated Donnelly to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, to the seat vacated by Judge
Sandra L. Townes
Sandra Lynn Townes (September 29, 1944 – February 8, 2018) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Early life and education
Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the Honorab ...
, who assumed
senior status on May 1, 2015. Senator
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from New York, a seat he has held since 1999. A member of the Democratic Party, he has led the Senate Democratic Caucus si ...
recommended Donnelly for the position.
[Rob Abruzzese]
Ann Donnelly sworn in as federal judge for the Eastern District
''Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''Kings County Democrat'', later ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' before shortening title further to ''Brooklyn Eagle'') was an afternoon daily newspaper published in the city ...
'' (January 25, 2016).
On December 16, 2014, her nomination was returned to the President due to the ''
sine die
Adjournment ''sine die'' (from Latin 'without a date') is the conclusion of a meeting by a deliberative assembly, such as a legislature or organizational board, without setting a date to reconvene. The assembly can reconvene, either in its pres ...
'' adjournment of the
113th Congress
The 113th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2013, to January 3, 2015, during the fifth and sixth years of Barack Obama's presidency. It was composed of the ...
. On January 7, 2015, President Obama renominated her to the same position. She received a hearing before the
United States Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally known as the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nom ...
on May 6, 2015. On June 4, 2015, her nomination was reported out of committee by a
voice vote
In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "by live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by respondin ...
. On October 20, 2015, the Senate confirmed her nomination by a 95–2 vote. She received her judicial commission on October 21, 2015.
An
investiture
Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian kn ...
ceremony was held on January 22, 2016.
Notable cases
On January 28, 2017, Donnelly issued an emergency stay blocking part of
an executive order issued by President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
from going into effect. The ruling
enjoined
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable reme ...
the federal government from deporting individuals who had arrived in the country with valid
visas
Visa most commonly refers to:
* Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country
* Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company
** Visa Debit card issued by the above company
** Visa Electron, a debit card
** Vi ...
or refugee status.
[Michael D. Shear, Nicholas Kulish & Alan Feuer]
Judge Blocks Trump Order on Refugees Amid Chaos and Outcry Worldwide
''New York Times'' (January 28, 2017). Several minutes after Donnelly entered her order, another judge,
Leonie Brinkema
Leonie Helen Milhomme Brinkema (born June 26, 1944) is a federal district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Early life and education
She was born as Leonie Milhomme in Teaneck, New Jersey, and was r ...
of the
, issued a
temporary restraining order
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable reme ...
blocking the Trump administration from preventing the return of
lawful permanent residents
Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis. This is usually for a permanent period; a person with such l ...
at
Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport ( ) – commonly known by its former name of Dulles International Airport, by its airport code of IAD, or simply as Dulles Airport – is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located w ...
.
She also tried the singer
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967), known as R. Kelly, is an American former singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is credited with prolific commercial success in R&B, hip hop, and pop music recordings, earning nicknames suc ...
in his sex trafficking trial, where he was convicted of all charges. On June 29, 2022, Donnelly sentenced Kelly to 30 years in prison.
In June 2022, The
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
unanimously vacated Judge Donnelly's decision that a minor child be compelled to return to Italy despite the child "facing a grave risk of harm" if returned. The Supreme Court returned the matter to Judge Donnelly, who again ordered the child returned to Italy, in August 2022. The child's mother, Narkis Aliza Golan, who had settled at a New York domestic violence shelter after fleeing Italy to protect the child, was found dead weeks after Judge Donnelly's August 2022 decision.
At the time of her death, Golan was preparing to appeal Donnelly's August 2022 decision.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donnelly, Ann
1959 births
Living people
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American women lawyers
21st-century American women judges
21st-century American lawyers
21st-century American women lawyers
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
New York (state) lawyers
New York state court judges
New York Supreme Court justices
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law alumni
People from Royal Oak, Michigan
United States district court judges appointed by Barack Obama
University of Michigan alumni