Wayne County judge dies after agreeing to resign over allegations of racist remarks
A Wayne County judge who died on Oct. 30 had resigned the position shortly before because of allegations of racist remarks and threats against a Black town employee.
Investigators with the state Commission on Judicial Conduct had determined that Paul Sucher, while a judge, had "repeatedly" made statements opposing interracial marriage, had used a racial epithet "on multiple occasions," and had threatened the life of a Black town employee who was dating a Sucher family member.
Sucher, who'd been an Ontario Town Court justice since 2008, agreed to the resignation in early October, records show. The Commission on Judicial Conduct released a decision on Oct. 28, finalizing the process.
Sucher was 77. Records show he was seriously ill before the resignation and commission order, which would have prohibited him from seeking a judgeship in the future.
One of his attorneys, Christopher Schiano, said Sucher only agreed to the resignation because of his illness.
"To be honest, if he wasn't sick, he would have fought this all the way through to the end," Schiano said.
Sucher, a former State Trooper, was not an attorney. He was a retired sergeant from the State Police, Troop E, where he worked for 23 years. He also was a member of the Town of Ontario Fire Company.
Typically, the commission issues a news release about cases that end with some form of discipline or resignation. However, the commission issued no release about Sucher's case, likely because of his death.
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Claims of racism disputed
The Democrat and Chronicle learned of the action against Sucher from the commission's website. Commission officials declined to discuss his resignation, or the allegations against Sucher.
Robert Tembeckjian, while not discussing Sucher's case in specifics, did say, "The Judicial Conduct Commission regards allegations of racism with utmost concern.
"There is simply no place on the bench for a judge who makes racist comments or declines to work with people based on their race," Tembeckjian said.
A Commission on Judicial Conduct investigative file includes transcripts of a hearing at which Sucher and his attorneys challenged claims that he was racist or had used racial epithets, including the "n" word. Witnesses said he'd used the word on multiple occasions when discussing the Black town worker.
Sucher alleged the witnesses were political foes. Concerns he had about the Black town employee were because of allegations of misconduct at a past workplace, Sucher alleged. Other witnesses testified that they had not heard him use racist epithets.
Sucher supervised State Troopers who were Black and never had a claim of racism against him, his lawyers said at the hearing.
At the hearing, his attorneys told how he had been one of the Troopers who, on Sept. 13, 1971, stormed the Attica Correctional Facility to retake the prison after it had been sieged by inmates. He then provided security at the prison hospital, according to testimony.
"While at the prison hospital, he opened a door and observed ... guards assaulting and beating a Black prisoner," said another of Sucher's attorneys, Charles Schiano. "He ordered them to stop and when he checked again, the guards had not stopped and Paul Sucher threatened to arrest them unless they stopped assaulting and beating the Black prisoner. The guards stopped the assault."
There had yet to be a decision from the hearing over the allegations when Sucher chose to resign.
Contact Gary Craig at gcraig@gannett.com or at 585-258-2479. Follow him on Twitter at gcraig1.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Judge Paul Sucher dies after resigning over racist allegations
