On July 24 during Cazenovia Town Court, Justice Timothy Moore said he would look to recuse himself from the case involving Assistant United States Attorney Craig A. Benedict.
Benedict, of Burlingame Road in Cazenovia, pled not guilty to second degree criminal nuisance, a misdemeanor he was charged with following an incident in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 15. Madison County Sheriffs Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting an assault at a large party Benedict was hosting on his property, reportedly for his son who recently graduated from Christian Brothers Academy.
The Sheriff’s Department investigation is currently ongoing at this time.
Moore said he would ask the case be reassigned to another judge, as he has “a past history of working together” with Benedict, who is chief environmental prosecutor for the Northern District of New York.
During Benedict’s appearance hearing, his lawyer Art Bigsby asked that all documents which mention the names of minors in attendance at the party be redacted, to protect their identities.
After the hearing, neither Benedict nor Bigsby commented, citing the open case and ongoing investigation.
Pierce Smith is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at 434-8889 ext. 338 or [email protected].
