Judge Leonard Andrews is a retired federal judge who sexually abused his stepdaughter Maggie since she was a child.
Background[]
Leonard married single mother Lillian and adopted her daughter Maggie as his own. He and Lillian went on to have two children of their own, Peyton and Charles. Leonard served as a disciplinary parental figure by pushing his children into being great in the future. This stemmed from the fact that he rose from Attorney General to judge with a great reputation that enabled him to gain prestige among his colleagues for forty years until his retirement. Privately, however, Leonard was a sexual predator who preyed on Maggie. He would sit in her room late at night and fondle her without her knowing, though this led to her developing a bedwetting habit from residual memories. Charles would often see him coming out of the room but was told by his mother that he was dreaming. Eventually, Lillian discovered the abuse, but, due to not wanting to raise three children alone, she instead confronted Leonard and threatened to send him to prison if he ever did it again. To this end, she had him even document his actions in a journal. His abuse of Maggie led to her becoming warped by subconscious trauma as an adult, as Maggie became a drinker and was unable to hold relationships or a job.
Excavation[]
In 2024, Leonard talked his wife into moving out of their home into a condo. While cleaning out the basement with her sister, Maggie discovered Leonard's journal and recognized his handwriting. She reported the journal to the Special Victims Unit and told them who her stepfather was. They opened an investigation, promising to do so quietly to not notify her family. Because Maggie had little memory of her childhood, it was hard to recall the specific memories of her abuse. However, after heavily drinking to cope, her memory was triggered, leading to a self-harming episode. At the hospital, Leonard and Lillian were notified by Peyton, but after seeing the SVU were on the scene, he suspected something. A quick talk notified Leonard of the cause, and he promptly ended the interview and forbade the cops from talking further without his attorneys.
Later, he went to the precinct and admitted to writing the journal, claiming that it was simply fiction. After the SVU found incriminating evidence on Maggie's nightgown, he was arrested and only asked A.D.A. Carisi that he be treated like any other suspect. His fellow judges remarked on his circumstances, and he was remanded. Eventually, the SVU discovered that Lillian knew about the abuse, but she refused to turn on Leonard. Nevertheless, he realized the pressure was mounting, dismissed his attorneys, and called for a meeting with Carisi in the court halls. He reflected on his career and his hard work as a father and role model before he admitted to the abuse to Carisi, expressing heavy remorse for his actions. When Carisi asked why he came clean, Leonard revealed that he abused Maggie because he wanted to feel a semblance of innocence, due to his job blinding him to the truth. As a result, Leonard was imprisoned while Lillian was not charged because of the statute of limitations expiring but the kids disowned her and she lost her job because of the stigma. (SVU: "Excavation")