Alaska Superior Court Judge Romano DiBenedetto of Nome, appointed by former Gov. Bill Walker in 2017, has been recommended for a public reprimand by the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct, following findings that he breached judicial conduct standards both inside and outside the courtroom.
In the first incident in which he was charged, Judge DiBenedetto presided over a motion hearing in Unalakleet on Jan. 8, 2024, after regular work hours. The Commission found he arrived nearly one hour late, reportedly because he had been watching a televised sports event. The College Football Playoff National Championship was that afternoon, with the Michigan Wolverines and Washington Huskies.
He later claimed he was “getting lost.” But the delay was deemed a breach of Canons 2A and 3A of the Alaska Court System’s policies.
The second incident involved the way, in the presence of court staff, DiBenedetto had a habit of discussing and reenacting courtroom testimony, sometimes mimicking voices or comments of individuals belonging to ethnic groups other than his own. Typically this would mean mimicking Native Alaskans’ way of speaking in rural parts of the region. This conduct was found to violate Canon 2A and Alaska’s Healthy Workplace Policy by creating an appearance of bias and undermining confidence in the judiciary.
After issuing formal investigation notices on April 9 and another notice on May 22, the Commission conducted special meetings on April 29 and May 28, with DiBenedetto and his counsel present at the April meeting. A unanimous decision was made to move directly to a public hearing, where the Commission accepted agreed findings on June 27 and formally recommended a reprimand on July 3. DiBenedetto put up no fight.
The Alaska Supreme Court will make the final determination as to whether to accept the Commission’s recommendation, decide how the reprimand will be delivered, and determine any further action. DeBenedetto has been on paid leave since March.
Read the findings at this link:
