Ramsey County Judge Patrick Diamond, who ruled on Data Practices violations, transgender discrimination cases, dies at 64

Yahoo

19-02-2025

Judge Patrick Diamond was still a young lifeguard at Phalen Beach in St. Paul when he met and wooed Beth Peterson, the woman who would go on to be his wife of more than 40 years, by taking her to a John Prine and Steve Goodman concert. Last summer, the two took sailing lessons out of Bayfield, Wis. and received their captain's license, leaving Diamond with big plans to sail the Great Lakes, down the eastern seaboard and on to the Caribbean.
Diamond, who had served more than a dozen years on the Ramsey County District Court bench, wrapped up a jury trial in downtown St. Paul on Monday, Feb. 3. On that Tuesday, he completed a full day of pre-trial hearings. He suffered cardiac arrest that Wednesday morning, and died on Feb. 9 at the University of Minnesota Hospital, surrounded by loved ones. He was 64.
'A big dreamer. A big thinker. A big hearted man,' wrote Peterson, sharing the news on his CaringBridge website. 'Sail on, Captain. Sail on.'
Diamond, who was born on June 28, 1960, in Hudson, Wis., attended St. Thomas Academy and Hamline University before entering the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was the research and note editor for the Law Review. He went on to clerk for a federal judge in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and then served as Deputy County Hennepin County Attorney from 1992 to 2012 for both Mike Freeman and Amy Klobuchar, who went on to become a U.S. senator.
'He was my chief criminal deputy for 12 years during that time,' said Freeman on Tuesday. 'I will brag though that I'm a better fisherman than him. Pat was a very smart man who had great judgment and was deeply committed to justice. He always wanted to figure out what was the right and just thing to do. He was a good trial lawyer.'
Freeman recalled how Diamond would work through creative solutions to problems. 'He was more committed to justice than almost anybody I ever knew,' he said.
Diamond argued a case before the United States Supreme Court in 2007, Danforth v. Minnesota, involving a convicted sex offender, who had been deemed incompetent to take the stand in his own defense, attempting to retroactively apply new rules of criminal procedure to challenge a conviction based on his taped testimony.
Diamond was appointed to the Ramsey County District Court bench by Gov. Mark Dayton in July 2012.
As judge, he recently ordered the city of St. Paul to pay legal damages in a case filed by a Summit Avenue homeowner who accused the city of willful violations of the state's Data Practices Act, and found in another case that USA Powerlifting engaged in discriminatory practices by prohibiting a transgender athlete from competing.
His term in office was scheduled to end on Jan. 4, 2027. An obituary prepared by his family recalled his 'wicked wit and big heart,' and his commitment to specialty courts such as the Treatment Court, Drug Court and the Juvenile Delinquent Center.
In a written statement to colleagues, Chief Ramsey County Judge Sara Grewing recalled Diamond as 'one of the finest public servants this community has ever known.' Grewing, who clerked for Diamond in the Hennepin County Attorney's office in 2001, said she was fortunate to be mentored 'by his brilliant legal mind and deeply caring heart. Quite frankly, we will be a bit rudderless without his astute and unflappable counsel. We have lost a giant.'
Diamond enjoyed the outdoors, including winter camping, downhill skiing, open water swimming, kayaking and sailing on Lake Superior. He was a fan of minor and major baseball tours. His family remembered him as an avid reader and storyteller who loved pondering recipes for Christmas Eve extended family dinners.
Diamond volunteered for many years as a Youth Week Counselor at Camp Unistar, a Unitarian-Universalist camp on Star Island, Cass Lake when his sons were campers, and continued to volunteer for years afterward. He is survived by his wife Beth, his sons Charlie and Sam, his brother David and sister Peggy, as well as granddaughter Zoey.
Diamond donated his body to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on April 18 at Unity Church-Unitarian at 733 Portland Ave. in St. Paul. The service will also be livestreamed. The family has requested that memorials be sent to Camp Unistar.
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