Alaska Judge Resigns Over Misconduct

0:00Known superior court judge, Romano Di Benedetto, plans to resign effective April 1st. A spokesperson for the Alaska Court system confirmed the news on Friday. He's been on administrative leave for a year over reports of misconduct. The issue started with staff complaints about him using offensive accents to mimic ethnic groups and making people wait in court while he watched a sports game on television. An investigation by the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct led to a recommendation for a reprimand from the Supreme Court which had enruled yet when he stepped down. In Known where he's been the only judge since 2017, his behavior damaged trust in the courts, including mocking speech patterns of Alaska Native people. The area has a tough history with judicial problems like a prior judge censured for inappropriate comments from the bench. While on leave, Di Benedetto received his full annual salary of $259,709.

1:00Visiting judges have covered his cases so far and the court system will keep doing that until a permanent replacement arrives. The Alaska Judicial Council will consider nominations for the new judge at its August meeting. Community voices express relief at the change and a strong hope for someone who earns the role's respect. Local news, powered by AI. This is Anchorage News Today.