InfoSearched
Published -
- December 14, 2019
- 4:07 am
Former judge Sentenced
Former judge Leticia Astacio sentenced to 180 days in jail.
What lessons can be learned from Astacio’s case regarding judicial integrity and accountability?
On August 13, 2019, former Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio was sentenced to 180 days in jail, followed by three years of probation. This comes after a string of legal troubles that began with her arrest for drunk driving in 2016.
Astacio initially gained notoriety for refusing to resign from her position on the bench after her DUI conviction, despite calls from the community and the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct. She continued to hear cases, but was ultimately stripped of her judgeship in 2018 following a series of ethical violations.
Astacio’s troubles didn’t end there, however. In April 2019, she was arrested for violating the terms of her probation by allegedly trying to purchase a gun. She was subsequently found guilty of the violation and was remanded to jail.
Astacio’s latest sentence stems from her conviction for attempted criminal purchase of a firearm. She was arrested in August 2018 for trying to buy a shotgun at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Henrietta, New York. Astacio claimed that she was buying the gun for protection, but the store refused to sell it to her due to her prior criminal record.
During her trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Astacio had been drunk and disorderly prior to her attempted purchase. They also argued that her behavior was indicative of a pattern of reckless and dangerous behavior, and that she posed a risk to public safety.
Astacio, for her part, maintained her innocence and insisted that she had done nothing wrong. She also accused the judge in her case of bias and unfair treatment, but her appeals were ultimately unsuccessful.
In the end, Astacio’s case serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of substance abuse and the importance of accountability. As a former judge, she was held to a higher standard of ethical conduct and respect for the law. Her repeated violations of that trust demonstrates the importance of judicial integrity, and the need for judges to be held to account for their actions both on and off the bench.
