A Mecklenburg County magistrate has been suspended for abandoning required classes, forfeiting bonds and failing to demonstrate a “minimum level of competency” during her first year as a magistrate, court documents allege.
Robin Sabio will no longer preside over cases during his paid suspension, WSOC-TV, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner, first reported.
Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch accused Sabio of losing more than $2,000 dollars in bonds owed to Cabarrus County over a month. Sabio “later found the money in her laptop bag,” according to a complaint filed March 8 in Mecklenburg County Superior Court.
Sabio also fell six and a half credits short on a civil course required for magistrates and never took the criminal course, Trosch alleged in the complaint.
“There have been persistent and recurring errors in the civil and criminal trials concluded by Magistrate Sabio,” Trosch wrote.
The charge was pending final adjudication in the Mecklenburg County Superior Court clerk’s office, court records show. A trial was planned, although no new documents were added to the docket.
Among the allegations against Sabio, Trosch claims she was repeatedly absent from scheduled counseling sessions, services and disciplinary hearings. After missing several appointments, Sabio claimed she was on medical leave — a leave for which she was not eligible, Trosch wrote.
According to the North Carolina Magistrates Association, magistrate judges represent approximately 10% of the judiciary’s workforce.
Magistrates’ duties include accepting guilty pleas, issuing arrest and search warrants, supervising initial appearances after arrests, setting conditions for release, accepting requests for involuntary commitment, and issuing temporary protective orders against domestic violence.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Are you aware of any cases where Magistrate Robin Sabio has alleged misconduct?? If so, or if you have other information about Charlotte’s justice system, email reporter Julia Coin at jcoin@charlotteobserver.com or reach her up 704-218-9350.
