Ex-judge Pozonsky should lose pension
The admission by former Washington County judge Paul Pozonsky last week that he had, in fact, been “sampling” the evidence in some of the drug cases that came before him brought the 1950s prisoner-of-war drama “Stalag 17” to mind.
In the movie, which stars William Holden and was directed by Billy Wilder, a group of American airmen being held in Germany during World War II try to suss out a traitor in their ranks. It turns out to be Peter Graves, the member of the gang who delivers the swiftest, hardest punches.
Pozonsky himself came down hard on more than one drug offender during his tenure on the bench, which lasted for almost 15 years before he resigned and hightailed it to Alaska in 2012. But, for at least part of that time, Pozonsky was himself a user of illegal drugs, abusing cocaine that was submitted as evidence in cases he was hearing and, on some occasions, replacing the cocaine with baking powder. Close to two years after charges were initially filed against Pozonsky, and on the eve of a trial that had been due to get under way this week, he copped a plea Friday, admitting guilt to three misdemeanor charges including theft by unlawful taking and obstructing the administration of law. In exchange, the state attorney general’s office will not demand that Pozonsky be put behind bars, though his fate rests in the hands of Daniel Howsare, a visiting judge from Butler County, who will sentence Pozonsky in July.
The likelihood Pozonsky will avoid any jail time might indeed be a bitter pill to swallow for the drug offenders the disgraced judge sent to prison, their friends and families, and the lawyers who argued cases before him. But the terms of the plea deal should be honored, and Pozonsky’s lawyer said his client has been clean and sober for four years. He poses no threat to society.
That being said, Pozonsky’s actions were an egregious violation of the public trust. He needs more than a slap on the wrist. Certainly, taking away his state pension, which now delivers $8,000 per month in benefits, should be part of Pozonsky’s punishment.
That works out to almost $100,000 per year. The prospect of losing that, and the lifestyle that it would help finance, would almost make jail the more attractive option.