HollyMatkinHenrietta, NY – A Rochester City Court judge, who allegedly attempted to buy a shotgun, in violation of her probation conditions, was turned away by Dick’s Sporting Goods employees on Apr. 2.
Judge Leticia Astacio, who recently received a pay hike, despite her refusal to report to work since July of 2017, subsequently denied the allegation, and claimed that the woman who attempted to buy the gun was actually her sister.
“They thought she was me,” Astacio said in a Facebook video on Saturday night, according to WHEC.
She also issued an open letter to her supervisor, Judge Craig Doran, in which she claimed to be the victim of a “hostile” work environment, Spectrum News reported.
Astacio has retained her employment as a judge, despite being arrested for drunk driving on Feb. 16, 2016.
Her defiant antics, smug demeanor, and arrogant outbursts have been commonplace during her multiple appearances in relation to violations of her sentence.
According to her court-ordered probation conditions, Astacio is “prohibited from possessing a firearm, dangerous weapon, or noxious substance.”
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies responded to the Henrietta Dick’s store after they received a “third-party report [that] a person believed to be Rochester City Court Judge Leticia Astacio” was attempting to purchase a shotgun, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
“They were not comfortable selling her a firearm based on their policies and procedures,” Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.
Details of the investigation were forwarded to the Monroe County Probation Office for potential follow-up, the department said.
“I really don’t like guns,” Astacio later commented in her Facebook video. “Now, it would make sense to me for me to purchase a gun, because these psychopaths threaten me regularly. I get death threats daily.”
As a judge, Astacio has been banned from the courtroom and the secure area of the Hall of Justice since mid-July of 2017, WHEC reported.
Since that time, the chief judge had instructed her to work inside the law library on the Hall of Justice’s fifth floor.
According to Spectrum News, Doran said that Astacio was scheduled to review landlord-tenant matters, conduct legal research, and to perform office duties from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Astacio then provided a doctor’s note, which excused her from having to report to work due to the negative impact her work conditions were having on her health.
According to WHEC, Doran sent Astacio a letter on Feb. 23, and directed her to come to work at the Hall of Justice at 9 a.m. on Feb 26.
Astacio failed to comply with Doran’s directive, but did come to the office on Feb. 27. She left after several hours, however, and never returned, Doran told Spectrum News.
According to Spectrum News, Astacio recently issued an open letter to Doran on her Facebook page. The post appeared to have since been deleted.
In the letter, Astacio claimed to have been mentally harmed by the “hostile” work environment at Rochester City Court. She complained that she had been required to access the building through backdoor metal detectors, and that no other employees were required to do the same.
Astacio asked Doran to hold a meeting to discuss Astacio returning to the bench to hear cases.
According to Spectrum News, Doran said it was not appropriate for him to issue statements regarding his subordinates’ social media posts, but said he would be willing to meet with Astacio, in the event she were to contact him.
Astacio has continued to collect her $175,500 salary during her jail time and absence from the court. Effective Apr. 1, she and other city judges across New York State received a pay hike, which increased Astacio’s grossly-undeserved salary to $187,200, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.
Astacio’s term will expire in 2024, according to WHEC.