Louisiana judge who mysteriously surrendered string of cases takes medical leave

A federal judge in Louisiana who has been mysteriously pulled off or surrendered a string of cases over the past year is now taking medical leave, an official said Thursday.

Tony Moore, clerk of court for the Western District of Louisiana, confirmed that U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi has taken medical leave and asked the chief judge to reassign cases assigned to her.

It's unclear when Minaldi began her leave or how long it could last; Moore said he could not provide any additional information.

News of Minaldi's medical leave sheds some light on unusual happenings in her courtroom.

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