According to court records, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi was arraigned on Monday for driving under the influence.
Cocchi was released on bail. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for October 29. His attorney, Joseph D. Bernard, declined to comment.
According to a report from 22News, WWLP, Cocchi was arrested Saturday night outside the MGM Casino in Springfield.
The sheriff’s office and state police were not immediately available for comment. Springfield police said they were not involved in the arrest.
Cocchi was first elected sheriff in 2016, succeeding Michael Ashe, who held the office for 42 years. He was re-elected in 2022. He is a lifelong resident of Ludlow and a graduate of Elms College in Chicopee. According to the sheriff’s office, he began working with the sheriff’s office as a part-time correctional officer.
Cocchi has made the opioid epidemic a priority during his tenure, and in 2018 his office opened a new rehabilitation facility in Ludlow for people incarcerated for addiction issues. Last week, he received a Distinguished Citizen Award from the Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts of America, according to a social media post from the sheriff’s office.
This report uses material from previous Globe reports.
You can reach Camilo Fonseca at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @fonseca_esq and Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.
