Judge Caught Driving Under the Influence: Court President Takes Action

The President of the Regional Court in Szczecin has suspended a judge for one month after police caught him driving under the influence of alcohol over the weekend.

Suspension and Disciplinary Measures

Grzegorz Kasicki, President of the Regional Court in Szczecin, decided on a one-month break from official duties for the judge detained while driving under the influence of alcohol. The disciplinary spokesperson is also handling the case.

Following the detention of the intoxicated driver on Sunday evening, who turned out to be a judge of the Szczecin Regional Court, the police notified the prosecutor’s office. On Monday, an official letter regarding the matter reached the desk of the regional court president. Grzegorz Kasicki stated in response to PAP inquiries that on August 10 he scheduled an urgent meeting of the regional court board, which positively approved the intention to order a break in the judge’s duties.

Legal Basis and Dismissal from Function

The president of the court, citing Article 130 paragraph 1 of the Act of July 27, 2001, on the Law on Common Courts, ordered a break in the judge’s activities. Kasicki reported that this lasts for a period of one month or until the decision of the disciplinary court, noting that a one-month break is the maximum sanction a court president can decide upon.

The president confirmed that the judge stopped on the road near Gryfino is the head of the 3rd Criminal Division of the Regional Court in Szczecin. Kasicki informed that on August 11 in the morning hours he initiated the procedure to dismiss the judge from the function of division head, as described in Article 11 paragraph 3a of the aforementioned act.

Prosecutor and Disciplinary Proceedings

The incident was also reported to the President of the Court of Appeal in Szczecin, who notified the deputy disciplinary spokesperson at the court of appeal. Kasicki conveyed that it is within this spokesperson’s purview to potentially initiate disciplinary proceedings.

Asked whether the detained judge provided any explanations, Kasicki stated he has no such knowledge as he is not a participant in the proceedings conducted by the prosecutor’s office, emphasizing that since the detention he has had no contact with the judge.

The detention of the intoxicated judge driving his private car occurred on Sunday around 10:00 PM on provincial road No. 120 between Gryfino and Wełtyń. Press officer of the County Police Headquarters in Gryfino, senior aspirant Jakub Kuźmowicz, reported that Road Traffic Department officers conducted operations there. During the night hours, the Gryfino District Prosecutor’s Office was notified of the event.

On Monday, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Szczecin initiated an investigation into the matter. The press spokesperson for the Szczecin prosecutor’s office, prosecutor Julia Szozda, informed PAP that the materials concerning this proceeding will be transferred to the Internal Affairs Department of the National Prosecutor’s Office.

Leave Status and Case Reassignment

The court reported that the judge, whose sobriety was checked by the police, was on annual leave. If the disciplinary court decides to suspend the judge from official duties for a longer period, the cases he conducts will be randomly reassigned among the remaining judges of the 3rd Criminal Division of the Regional Court in Szczecin and will have to proceed from the beginning.