Judge gets letters for, against doctor

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Judge Sheila DiTullio laid down the law as she sent Dr. James Corasanti to jail for the crash that killed Amherst teen Alix Rice last year.

She said to the physician, "The court will and must honor the jury's verdict. But Dr. Corasanti, you drank a lot of booze that evening. Liquor and wine, you testified to that yourself under oath. And then you chose to walk to your car and drive. And when you're drunk, and choose to drive, tragic, tragic things can happen."

Only one count stuck - misdemeanor DWI. Judge DiTullio gave Corasanti the maximum sentence, one year behind bars. It was a trial that shook up WNY.

Corasanti attorney Joel Daniels noted, "I can't remember a trial in all my years, and I've been around for a while, that riveted the community like this one."

It was a high profile case from the very beginning. And as sentencing approached, hundreds of letters, for and against Corasanti, were sent to the judge.

Read letters for Corasanti here.

Read letters against Corasanti here.

To see a letter from a notable WNYer written to the judge, click here.

One letter came from Rev. Msgr. Angelo Caligiuri, one of Corasanti's patients. He wrote, "I would like to encourage you you to do whatever is possible to keep his unique medical expertise available to his many patients."

Judge DiTullio noted, "I read all the letters on your behalf. All the letters praising your medical skills. I read them carefully."

So how much did public opinion and public pressure weigh on the judge?

Former Erie County DA Frank Clark said, "I don't think it played a great deal of importance at all. I think it was a consideration."

Former Amherst Town Judge Sam Maislin added, "The bottom line is that the judge was within the sentencing confines when she sentenced him to the year. I mean, period, the end."

Another letter the judge received stated, "I killed my wife in a DWI manslaughter case. His outcome was more favorable than mine. I'm a better person having come to jail. You should give Dr. Corasanti the maximum one year sentence."

Judge DiTullio called it a sensitive balance, and says it may be one of the most difficult and delicate decisions a judge is called upon to perform.