Albany DA: Leandra's Law plea nets repeat drunk driver 15 years to life in prison

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Joseph Corrodore

ALBANY – A repeat drunk driver was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life in state prison under the state’s persistent felon statute, Albany County District Attorney’s officials said.

Joseph Corrodore, 55, of Albany, pleaded guilty in November to one count of felony driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle and other charges.

He admitted that he drove drunk Aug. 14 in Albany while his 6-year-old daughter was in the car with him and improperly restrained, officials said.

Along with his plea came a potential for the court to sentence Corrodore as a persistent felon. That status allows for a possible term of up to life, based on two or more prior felony convictions.

Corrodore had multiple prior DWI convictions, three of them felonies, going back to at least 1995, records show. Two of his earlier cases were from Schenectady County, records show. He also has a felony attempted robbery conviction from 1988, records show. His earliest drinking and driving offense came in 1982.

Corrodore’s prior convictions made him eligible for the stiffer term. A typical felony of the level he pleaded guilty to has a maximum term of four years.

In his current case, Albany Police stopped him at about 8:50 p.m. that night after officers spotted him running a red light on West Lawrence Street, prosecutors said.

Corrodore showed signs of intoxication and he admitted to having a beer at home before driving, prosecutors said. Officers also discovered the 6-year-old girl.

Corrodore failed the field sobriety tests and tests showed his blood alcohol content at 0.11, about 90 minutes after the stop, prosecutors said.

Corrodore was last sent to prison in 2003. He was sentenced then to 2 to 6 years for third-offense or more felony DWI in Albany County. He was released in March 2007.

Corrodore also received 2 to 6 years in Schenectady County in 1998 for third offense DWI and 1 to 3 years in 1995 in Schenectady County for second offense DWI, state prison records show.

His 1995 conviction came from a Niskayuna traffic stop and after two prior misdemeanor DWI convictions and a prior driving while ability impaired infraction, newspaper records show.

His 1998 conviction came after he led police on a May 1997 chase from Schenectady to the town of Saratoga at speeds of up to 90 mph that ended when he plowed his car into a parked boat near Saratoga Lake, newspaper records show. He also received 2 to 6 years in 1988 for attempted robbery in Albany County, records show.

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