Francis X. Flaherty (born January 8, 1947) is a former Associate Justice of the

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by the Judicial No ...

. Flaherty was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor

Donald Carcieri Donald Louis Carcieri ( ; ; born December 16, 1942) is an American politician and corporate executive who served as the 73rd Governor of Rhode Island from January 2003 to January 2011. Carcieri has worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid ...

in 2003. Prior to his service on the Supreme Court, his career included service as a member of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, the mayor of the city of

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

, and the private practice of law. Flaherty is a graduate of

Suffolk University Law School Suffolk University Law School (also known as Suffolk Law School) is the private, non-sectarian law school of Suffolk University located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, across the street from the Boston Common and the Freedom Trail, two block ...

and

Providence College Providence College is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by the Dominican Order and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, local diocese, it offers 47 undergradua ...

. Between college and law school, he served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1970. His service included deployment to Vietnam where he earned the Bronze Star for Valor as a platoon leader. After graduating from law school, Flaherty was an Assistant City Solicitor in Warwick from 1975 until 1978. His political career then began with election to the City Council in 1978 and eventual election to three terms as mayor of

serving from 1985 to 1990. He ran unsuccessfully in the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Primary for

Governor of Rhode Island The governor of Rhode Island is the head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, o ...

in 1990 and 1992, though he came narrowly close to victory over the incumbent, Governor

Bruce Sundlun Bruce George Sundlun (January 19, 1920 – July 21, 2011) was an American businessman, politician and member of the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party who served as List of governors of Rhode Island, 71st governor of Rhode Island ...

, in 1992. In the years after, Flaherty returned to private law practice, served on the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education from 1998 to 2003, and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2003. In October 2020, Flaherty announced his intention to retire on December 31, 2020.

References

External links

Bio page
1947 births Living people 21st-century American judges 20th-century mayors of places in Rhode Island Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Mayors of Warwick, Rhode Island Politicians from Warwick, Rhode Island Suffolk University Law School alumni Rhode Island city council members {{RhodeIsland-state-judge-stub