Simon Leis's daughter reflects on her father's legacy, youth mental health advocacy

June 30, 2026 - 09:33

Julie Raleigh says she grew up knowing her father, Simon Leis, was a man people either loved or hated. "We definitely knew there was a love-hate relationship with my father," she recalls. But behind the tough public image and the headlines that followed his long career in law enforcement, Leis was simply "Dad" to her.

Raleigh is now speaking out about her father's legacy, focusing not just on his time as Hamilton County's sheriff and prosecutor, but on the man she knew at home. She remembers him as someone who protected his family in the same determined way he tried to keep the county safe. That protective instinct, she says, was the same quality that drove his work and his personal life.

Beyond the stories of crime and punishment, Raleigh is also highlighting her father's quieter work in youth mental health advocacy. She describes a side of Leis that the public rarely saw: a man who cared deeply about young people struggling with their mental health. While his professional reputation was built on law and order, his personal mission included reaching out to kids in crisis.

Raleigh hopes that by sharing these memories, people will see the full picture of her father. She wants his legacy to include not just the cases he prosecuted or the laws he enforced, but also the compassion he showed behind closed doors. For her, the man who fought for public safety was the same man who simply wanted to be a good father.