HOOSICK FALLS — Village Justice Thomas Restino has recused himself from a five-year case involving former Police Chief Robert Ashe after a special prosecutor identified a potential conflict of interest stemming from a party where police confiscated illegal fireworks, and Restino allegedly told partygoers, “don’t talk to the cops.”
The Columbia County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted charges in 2022 related to allegations that Ashe modified payroll records and took confiscated fireworks for personal use, claimed in a Feb. 17 motion that Restino witnessed actions leading up to the fireworks case against Ashe.
Restino presided over Ashe’s case when he pleaded guilty to official misconduct in 2022 and granted the former chief, who has since denied any wrongdoing, a six-month adjournment in contemplation of dismissal last November. The dismissal is scheduled to take effect May 12…