Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Judge Astacio To Remain Off The Bench For Now

A Rochester City Court judge, who was arrested Saturday on a misdemeanor DWI charge, will not be back on the bench yet when court offices open on Tuesday.

Leticia Astacio was arrested by State Police around 8 a.m. on Saturday  on 490 near Mt. Read Boulevard. Reportedly her car had damage on it from what may have been an accident. No other vehicle was involved.

She had been headed to Rochester City Court to preside over Saturday arraignments. She was issued a summons to be back in court March 11.

State Supreme Court Justice Craig Doran, who is the Administrative Judge for the 7th Judicial District, tells WXXI News that he has asked Astacio not to hear cases until the arrest is reviewed. He says his office has to make sure ethical rules and proper procedures are followed in case of any potential conflicts.

Doran says City Court will have another judge sit in for her in the meantime. An official with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct says he can’t comment specifically on Judge Astacio, but he says that whenever a judge is charged with an alcohol-related driving offense the commission will review the situation.

Robert Tembeckjian, Administrator for the Commission, says that in general, if a judge is found guilty of an alcohol-related offense, the disciplinary sanction will range from public admonition to public censure or removal from office, depending on the circumstances involved in the incident. The commission does not have the authority to suspend a judge or impose a fine. Tembeckjian emphasizes that explanation is just about the commission’s policy and not about any particular judge.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.