Donald W. Molloy

Donald William Molloy (born 1946) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana.

Early life and education Born into an Irish-American family in Butte, Montana, Molloy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montana in 1968. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Montana School of Law in 1976, where he was a member of the Law Review. He was in the United States Navy, Naval Aviation from 1968 to 1973, where he became a lieutenant and served on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVA-67).

Federal judicial service

When long-serving district judge Paul G. Hatfield announced his intent to take senior status in 1995, numerous Montana attorneys put themselves forward as potential successors on the United States District Court for the District of Montana, including Molloy. Senator Max Baucus recommended Molloy to President Bill Clinton, who nominated Molloy to the seat on December 21, 1995. Molloy was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 18, 1996, and received his commission on August 1, 1996. He served as chief judge from 2001 to 2008, and declared his intent to retire in December 2010, finally assuming senior status on August 16, 2011.

Notable rulings

United States v. W.R. Grace

At the time, United States vs. W.R. Grace was the largest and most significant criminal environmental case prosecuted in the United States. The chemical company W.R. Grace produced vermiculite at its Libby, Montana mine. For a time, the mine produced 80% of the mineral worldwide. Consequently, residents were exposed to the material and suffered serious health effects. Molloy ordered the company to pay over $54.5 million dollars to the federal government for investigation and cleanup of this Superfund site.

Defenders of Wildlife v. Salazar

Among Molloy's more noted rulings was a 2011 decision to return wolves in Montana and Idaho to the endangered species list, over the objection of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Environmental groups challenged the decision. Molloy's ruling was based partly on the decision of the US Congress to retain wolves on the Endangered Species Act. He wrote that the court cannot "exercise its discretion to allow what Congress forbids."

Alario v. Knudsen

In December 2023 Molloy blocked the state of Montana’s ban on the downloading of TikTok. The ban would have imposed fines on TikTok for each time a user downloads the app within Montana. Montana was the first State to enact a full ban and multiple other states supported the ban and would have followed suit if not for the ruling.