Nome Superior Court Judge Romano DiBenedetto resigns after misconduct investigation

By SUZANNE DOWNING

March 27, 2026 – Superior Court Judge Romano DiBenedetto has resigned from Alaska’s Second Judicial District (Nome) while awaiting a final ruling from the Alaska Supreme Court in a judicial misconduct case.

DiBenedetto, 57, submitted his letter of retirement Friday with an effective date of April 1. His resignation comes after the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct concluded that a public reprimand was appropriate discipline for multiple incidents involving his conduct both on and off the bench. The matter had been pending before the Alaska Supreme Court for final review.

The commission found that DiBenedetto violated provisions of the Alaska Code of Judicial Conduct, determining his actions created an “appearance of impropriety” and “undermined public confidence in the judiciary.”

Among the incidents cited in the complaint was a Jan. 8, 2024 hearing in Unalakleet, in State v. Nance, where DiBenedetto delayed proceedings for nearly an hour.

According to the commission, the delay occurred because the judge was watching a televised sporting event. When he later joined the attorneys, he told them he had “gotten lost,” an explanation he later acknowledged was inaccurate. The commission concluded the delay created the appearance that court business did not take precedence over personal activities (a football game underway on television).

In his formal answer to the complaint, DiBenedetto acknowledged the incident and agreed it violated judicial conduct canons by creating that appearance, though he denied it reflected a broader pattern.

Investigators also cited what they described as repeated scheduling disruptions. Court staff and attorneys reported hearings were frequently canceled, rescheduled, or delayed with little advance notice, often tied to the judge’s travel plans. Affidavits submitted to the commission said the changes created challenges for court personnel and imposed burdens on attorneys and litigants across the region.

Additional concerns centered on workplace behavior. According to sworn statements, DiBenedetto sometimes reenacted testimony or comments using exaggerated accents, including those of Alaska Native individuals and a police officer with a Vietnamese accent. The commission concluded such conduct undermined confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary and created an uncomfortable work environment. In his response, DiBenedetto acknowledged the conduct undermined confidence but denied it constituted bias under certain judicial canons.

DiBenedetto had been placed on paid administrative leave in early March while the investigation proceeded. He continued to receive his full judicial salary of $259,729.08 during that period. Visiting and pro tem judges handled cases in the Second Judicial District during his absence.

The misconduct complaint was filed in November 2025 under Alaska Statute 22.30.011 and cited potential violations of Canons 1, 2A, 3A, and 3B(5) of the Alaska Code of Judicial Conduct. The commission ultimately determined a public reprimand was sufficient, describing the conduct as negligent rather than malicious and noting mitigating factors including cooperation and lack of prior discipline.

DiBenedetto would have appeared on the fall 2026 ballot for judicial retention had he remained in office.

In July 2025, Melanie Bahnke, president of Kawerak Inc., submitted a written statement to the Alaska Commission on Judicial Conduct criticizing DiBenedetto’s alleged conduct and emphasizing the importance of cultural awareness in rural Alaska’s court system. Bahnke called for his resignation at the time and issued a statement following news of his departure.

DiBenedetto was appointed to the Superior Court in Nome in February 2017 by then-Gov. Bill Walker, filling a vacancy left by Judge Tim Dooley. He presided over civil and criminal matters across Alaska’s Second Judicial District, which includes remote communities such as Nome, Kotzebue, Unalakleet, and Utqiagvik.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, DiBenedetto earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He began his legal career as an assistant state’s attorney in Cook County, Illinois, later working as an investigator in the Cook County Inspector General’s Office before moving to Alaska in 2011. He served as an assistant district attorney in Fairbanks and later as a magistrate judge before his 2017 appointment to the superior court.

The Alaska Court System is expected to continue using visiting judges to handle cases in the Second Judicial District until a permanent replacement is appointed.