Judge Leticia Astacio doesn't want to be tried by a jury of her peers in fighting her DWI arrest.
Astacio's arrest occurred on Saturday, February 13. She has already pleaded "not guilty" to a misdemeanor DWI charge in March and had her license suspended.
You might want to scroll down and see my previous blogs on the subject.
The case is already being treated as "special" with a change of venue from the City of
Rochester. Canandaigua City Court Judge Stephen Aronson will be deciding on the validity of the arrest at a bench trial in August, to avoid what the D&C has described as a conflict of interest.
Nobody has explained exactly how trying Astacio in the Rochester courts would constitute a conflict of interest, especially since Canandaigua receives the Rochester D&C and is aware of the facts that our local newsrag has chosen to make public.
Simply put, Astacio does not want to be subjected to the same legal process that is deemed good enough for the rest of us. She doesn't trust the judgment of the people. She knows them too well.
At the same time, her legal problems will continue to be a subject of media scrutiny and public amusement.
It's a pity that Leonard Redon and Charlie Benincasa didn't pull this stunt and ask for a change of venue when they were picked up for DWI.But then, they were smart enough to take their lumps and put it behind them.
Unlike Astacio.
