Leticia Astacio, Rochester judge arrested for DWI, removed from bench
Rochester, N.Y. -- New York's highest court officially removed Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio from the bench today.
The state's judicial watchdog, the Commission on Judicial Conduct, recommended that Astacio be removed in April, according to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. She appealed to the state Court of Appeals, which ruled unanimously against her today.
Astacio's problems began in 2016 with an arrest for misdemeanor drunken driving. She cursed at law enforcement during the incident and tried to use her position as a judge to get out of trouble, the commission found.
She tried to start her vehicle months later after testing positive for alcohol on an ignition interlock device. She skipped a court-ordered alcohol test and failed to appear in 2017 after departing for a trip to Thailand.
Read more: https://www.syracuse.com/state/index.ssf/2018/10/leticia_astacio_rochester_judge_removed.html
Astacio continued to draw her $187,000 salary despite being absent from work most of the time since her 2016 arrest.
