Judge Accused Of Stealing Neighbor's Underwear Suspended

EAST ISLIP, NY - A Suffolk County District Court judge has been officially suspended on Monday after he was caught breaking into the home of his 23-year-old neighbor and stealing her underwear last week, according to a report in Newsday.

Robert Cicale, 49, of East Islip, was arraigned Friday on second degree burglary charges. A temporary order of protection was issued to protect the victim, her family and their home, district attorney Timothy Sini said.

Cicale was then released on $50,000 bond. After his arrest he was placed on temporary leave.

New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore signed a decision ordering

However on Monday, New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore ordered Cicale to be suspended with pay, effective immediately, Newsday reports.

“This court was notified of a complaint charging you with committing a felony crime in New York state,” the Court of Appeals to Cicale read, according Newsday.

Related:

• Suffolk Judge Is A Serial Panty Thief: Prosecutors
• Long Island Judge Stole 23-Year-Old Neighbor's Underwear: Cops

He has until April 12 to respond.

At about 9 a.m. Thursday, Cicale entered his neighbor's home on Donna Place and walked upstairs where he found the female resident in one of the bedrooms and immediately fled, the DA said.

He was later found a few blocks away, where detectives recovered several pairs of women's panties from Cicale's coat and raincoat, Sini said.

After his arrest, Cicale gave a written statement to Third Squad detectives, where he admitted to entering the home on multiple past occasions and removing the underwear from an upstairs hamper, Sini said.

DuWayne Gregory, presiding officer of the Suffolk County Legislature and Democratic candidate for Congress in New York's 2nd District, called on Cicale to step down on Friday.

"This is incredibly disturbing, and I demand Judge Robert Cicale step down. He was caught in the act of a sexually motivated crime, and no predator should be on the bench, representing our community, period," he said in a statement. "Cicale is clearly a threat to women in our community, and he is not fit to serve as a judge."