Two Finger Lakes-area lawmakers have introduced legislation in Albany inspired by the situation involving suspended Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio.
The bill introduced by State Senator Pam Helming and Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb would change the process by which the State Commission on Judicial Conduct investigates complaints against a judge’s conduct, and decides if they should be admonished or removed from office. The bill would require that commission hearings be made public, and provides that suspended judges would not be paid.
Judge Astacio has been either restricted to non-trial work or suspended since she was convicted for DWI, but continues to receive her salary even after the commission recommended she be removed from the bench.
The lawmakers call this an affront to justice and an outrage for taxpayers.