Minnesota judge dies on vacation in Florida
Judge Sally L. Tarnowski (Courtesy: Minnesota Judicial Branch)
A Minnesota judge vacationing in Florida died on Monday.
St. Louis County Circuit Judge Sally Tarnowski was vacationing in Venice, Fla. when she died on March 6.
“All of us within the Minnesota courts community are devastated by the loss of Judge Tarnowski,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea said. “Beyond her exemplary service to Minnesota, Judge Tarnowski was a vibrant person whose commitment to justice shined through in everything she did.”
KSTP’s sister station WDIO reported that most recently Tarnowski was working on a new program to help the downtown Duluth community.
Judge Tarnowski worked on a number of initiatives throughout her tenure, most notably her establishment of a dedicated mental health court. Through that initiative, offenders have an opportunity to complete a treatment program and address the behavior that led them to the justice system.
Tarnowski worked as the chief judge of the Sixth Judicial District from 2016 to 2020.