An upstate judge crashed his SUV after swigging from a vodka bottle following a boozy flight to Albany — then threatened the state troopers who arrested him, a state commission said.
Michael Miranda, a 72-year-old town justice in the town of Shandaken in Ulster County, got sauced in Orlando on March 18, 2018, and was still feeling it the next morning when he headed to the airport to fly home, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct says in a rebuke of the judge.
Starting at 9 a.m. on March 19, 2018, Miranda engaged in some hair of the dog, polishing off four vodka and seltzers at the airport while waiting to board his 11 a.m. flight to Albany, the commission said.
On the plane, the judge kept the party going, downing at least four more vodka cocktails — and lining his stomach with just one bag of peanuts.
After his flight touched down, Miranda got behind the wheel of his 2013 Subaru Outback, which bears a license plate indicating that he is a judge.
He then set off on a 70-mile trip to Shandaken, stopping to swig from a vodka bottle along the way, the commission said.
Upon arriving at Shandaken at about 5:30 pm, Miranda plowed his Subaru into two stop signs and two benches, causing more than $6,700 worth of damage to the vehicle but causing no injuries.
State troopers arrived at the scene and the glassy-eyed judge told them he only had two drinks — but he ended up failing three sobriety tests, the commission said.
During the arrest, Miranda threatened the troopers that he would “never again” hold arraignments for the State Police in his court, according to the commission.
Miranda was ultimately found to have three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system and was charged with driving while ability impaired.
He pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2018 and paid a $300 fine.
Commission members came “very close” to recommending that Miranda get booted from the bench for his boozy behavior, according to a news release.
But members opted for censuring Miranda — a slap-on-the-wrist penalty that allows him to stay on the bench.
The panel members cited the fact that the judge has gotten back on the wagon and continues to go to treatment for their decision.
“By invoking his judicial office to evade the consequences, and threatening not to conduct arraignments for the State Police, Judge Miranda came close to being removed, which would likely have been the result if he had followed through on his threat.” Commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian said in the release.
Miranda declined to comment.



