Charles J. Siragusa
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Charles J. Siragusa | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York | |
| Assumed office December 15, 2012 | |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York | |
| In office November 5, 1997 – December 15, 2012 | |
| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Michael Anthony Telesca |
| Succeeded by | Elizabeth A. Wolford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 10, 1947 |
| Education | Le Moyne College (B.A.) Albany Law School (J.D.) |
Charles Joseph Siragusa (born August 10, 1947)[1] is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York.
Siragusa received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Le Moyne College in 1969 and his Juris Doctor in 1976 from Albany Law School. Siragusa served as an Assistant District Attorney in Monroe County from 1977 to 1992 where he rose to the rank of First Assistant District Attorney.
During his time as first assistant district attorney, Siragusa successfully prosecuted Arthur Shawcross, also known as The Genesee River Killer. Shawcross had killed eleven victims starting in 1988 before his capture less than two years later in January 1990. Shawcross died November 10, 2008, while serving a life sentence.[2][3]
Siragusa also successfully prosecuted Frank Sterling for the 1988 murder of Viola Manville. After Sterling’s conviction, but before sentencing, a group of teenagers went to Siragusa and told him that a man named Mark Christie had bragged about killing Manville. They later said that they felt "bullied" by Siragusa, who dismissed their claims without taking them seriously.[4] Sterling was released in 2010, after serving nearly twenty years of a life sentence "because of new evidence — including DNA — pointing to Christie."[4]
Judicial service
New York State Supreme Court
In 1993, Siragusa was elected as a New York State Supreme Court Justice in the Seventh Judicial District where he served for four years.
Federal judicial service
On July 15, 1997, President Bill Clinton nominated Siragusa to the United States District Court for the Western District of New York to a seat vacated by Michael Anthony Telesca.[5] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 30, 1997, and received his commission on November 5, 1997. He took senior status on December 15, 2012.[6]