Judge Telesca announces retirement

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U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Telesca announced Wednesday that he will retire and become an inactive senior judge on May 3, 38 years after he took the oath of office for his position.

“The time has come to move on. I do so with gratitude for the privilege of serving my country with a group of outstanding federal judges and magistrate judges, and having been supported for 38 years by an outstanding staff of law clerks and dedicated administrative staff in both the Rochester and Buffalo Courthouses,” Telesca said in a statement.

Telesca’s longtime secretary, Joan Countryman, will also retire from active federal service as of May 1.

Telesca, 90, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to replace Judge Harold P. Burke and took the oath of office on May 3, 1982. He served as the Western District’s Chief Justice from 1989-1996. In 1996, he was appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist to the Alien Terrorist Removal Court.

He became such an icon of the Rochester legal community that a revolutionary building to unite Rochester’s civil legal service providers under a single roof — the Telesca Center For Justice — was named for him.

Telesca’s work to help victims of the 1971 prison riot at the Attica Correctional Facility was featured prominently in a locally produced 2015 documentary about his work and life, “Dedicated to Justice: Hon. Michael Telesca.”

A graduate of Franklin High School, Telesca attended the University of Rochester and University at Buffalo Law School. He served in the United States Marine Corps before practicing law, with a focus on litigation and municipal law. He also served as Gates town attorney.

After serving as campaign manager for Barber Conable, Telesca was elected as a Monroe County Surrogates Court Judge in 1972 and served in that court until he was appointed to the federal bench in 1982.

In addition to his work as a judge, Telesca has served on numerous boards of directors and advisory boards and has received countless honors and awards.