Sentence issued for Leisz

The former Sanders County Attorney was sentenced Monday for a 2022 incident that led to her resignation last year.

Naomi Leisz pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of obstructing justice on Monday. Leisz was originally charged with felony insurance fraud, but a plea agreement withdrew that initial charge.

In court on Monday, Leisz pleaded guilty to the allegations that, knowing her son was an offender and liable to be charged for an offense after being in a car accident that damaged property, assisted him in avoiding discovery or apprehension.

Nick Bratcher with the state attorney general’s office had asked Judge Edward McLean to sentence Leisz to a six-month suspended jail sentence, as well as $3,293 in fines payable to Northern Lights Inc., an additional $500 fine and 50 hours of community service. Bratcher also asked for a public apology from Leisz.

Leisz’s attorney, Nick Brooke, agreed with the sentence outlined by Bratcher, but had asked that the sentence be deferred instead of suspended. “A deferred sentence would allow her to get out of this judgment eventually and have it removed from her record,” Brooke said. “It would also carry more weight when she does try to get her license reinstated.” Brooke said that the case was not about Leisz getting money from an insurer. “This was about protecting her son. It doesn’t excuse the behavior but it does justify it.”

“Your honor, I made a grave error in judgment regarding an incident involving my son in a car accident. In an attempt to protect him I misrepresented facts about who was driving,” a sobbing Leisz said as she addressed the judge. “Many other factors weighed into that decision involving my job as county attorney. I didn’t want my kids to pay for my choices, including running for office. To the community, the court and the people who know me, I extend my sincerest apologies. Especially to the people who work for me. My legal assistants, I hurt them the most.” Judge McLean credited Leisz for five hours of community service in exchange for the public apology issued in court on Monday.

According to charging documents filed in 2023, Leisz was initially charged with one count of felony criminal insurance fraud. In April 2022, documents alleged Leisz’s son was involved in an accident in Trout Creek, after which Leisz filed an insurance claim stating she was driving the vehicle and not her son.

Judge McLean issued the six-month sentence as suspended as the state had requested, stating that the plea agreement was not through the remorse shown by Leisz but through the negotiations of the attorneys. Judge McLean noted this is the second time Leisz has received a probationary sentence for a similar type offense. “Good luck, Ms. Leisz,” he said before court was adjourned.

Leisz served as county attorney for just over five years. She resigned July 5, 2023 and voluntarily went on inactive status with the state bar association. The county commissioners then appointed Megan Hansen to serve as county attorney. Hansen is running for the office in this year’s general election.