Retired Delaware Supreme Court Justice Randy Holland has died.
Holland was Delaware’s longest-service justice. He was appointed by Gov. Mike Castle in 1986 and retired in 2017. At the time of his appointment, he was the youngest person to ever serve on the court. During his tenure, he wrote more than seven hundred opinions.
Holland is survived by his wife, children's book author Ilona Holland, a son and two grandchildren.
"What Justice Randy Holland will be most remembered for is his kindness, humility, and graciousness, and his personal notes written with a blue felt tip pen," Chief Justice Collins Seitz said in a statement, adding that the Court plans to recognize Holland at a future event.
Legislative leaders also expressed condolences. In a statement, The Delaware Senate Majority Caucus, including Judiciary Committee Chair Kyle Evans Gay, President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, and Majority Whip Elizabeth Lockman called Holland "One of the most intelligent, compassionate and dedicated jurists Delaware has ever known."
They added, "Justice Holland also was a champion of the vulnerable and the underprivileged, a mentor to generations of young lawyers and a model of professional ethics."
U.S. Senator Tom Carper released a statement noting Holland's longevity on the bench, attributing it to "his broad knowledge of the law and of our State, and the respect and professionalism he upheld on and off the bench."
Holland was known as one the state’s top experts in constitutional law and recently worked as a consultant to lawmakers who sought his guidance on how to remove an elected official from office following the charges filed against auditor Kathy McGuiness.
