A federal judge renowned for his legal acumen and commanding presence in the courtroom has passed away. The esteemed Judge T.S. Ellis III, who served for over 35 years, died at the age of 85 after a prolonged illness. Throughout his notable career, Ellis presided over numerous high-profile cases, including those involving former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, ex-Congressman William โDollar Billโ Jefferson, and โAmerican Talibanโ John Walker Lindh.
Known for his sharp wit, Ellis occasionally stirred quiet criticism at the Alexandria, Virginia courthouse, where he was based. However, his legal reasoning was consistently respected by peers and attorneys alike. Ellis passed away Wednesday at his home in Keswick, according to the Cremation Society of Virginia.
Born in Colombia in 1940, Thomas Selby Ellis III often made use of his fluent Spanish during court proceedings. He frequently encouraged Spanish-speaking defendants to forgo interpreters and directly address the court themselves, showcasing his linguistic skills.
After completing his undergraduate studies at Princeton, Ellis joined the Navy and furthered his education at Oxford. He later graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, before being appointed to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1987.
Ellisโ courtroom in the famously fast-paced โRocket Docketโ district embodied his independent spirit. While sessions often began tardily, Ellis demonstrated promptness during jury trials to respect jurorsโ time. He was known to cut through verbose arguments of counsel, sometimes dismissing them as unnecessary given โthe shortness of life.โ Yet, his fondness for storytelling often led to tales from his extensive law career during proceedings.
He was known for having a sharp tongue, occasionally snapping at lawyers who tested his patience, but he typically returned to offering conciliatory remarks and apologies within the same hearing.
Ellis most notably presided over the trial of Paul Manafort, charged with tax and bank fraud tied to his work for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians prior to joining Trumpโs campaign. Ellis delivered a 47-month sentence, controversially remarking that Manafort seemed to have led โan otherwise blameless life.โ This statement drew ire from those aware of Manafortโs controversial career including lobbying for unsavory international figures.
In 2009, Ellis sentenced former Louisiana Congressman William โDollar Billโ Jefferson to 13 years for bribery, framed by the discovery of $90,000 concealed in his freezer. This case presented challenges, including a complication involving a romantic entanglement between an FBI agent and a central witness.
A Supreme Court decision in 2017 prompted Ellis to reduce Jeffersonโs sentence to time served, though Ellis affirmed Jeffersonโs criminality and called his actions โvenal,โ underscoring the necessity of prosecuting and penalizing public corruption.
Ellisโ sentencing procedure often entailed inviting defendants to share mitigating factors, reinforcing that individuals author the pages of their own life stories. Although he assumed senior status in 2007, Ellis remained active in his judicial duties until health issues in recent years led to the reassignment of his cases.