Same as it ever was, same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was,same as it ever was……
For years there have been fervent objections to the leadership of the judicial council’s executive & planning committee being the same crusty old geezer that has been there for years, denying both the public and judges a voice in the judicial council’s business. Many believed that in order for any changes to be credible, the crusty old geezer who had been a fixture for the last 14 years had to go.
And so he did. Sadly, he didn’t go far enough. Many believed that with Huffman chairing executive & planning, that not a single idea promoted by any of the individual committees that were chartered to look at AOC’s operations or accountability or reform minded groups concerned about council governance, direction or management would ever see the light of day. So it was a promising move to see “tricky dick” step down from the Judicial Council.
In the ultimate of bitch slaps to the entire judicial branch, the pinnacle of arrogance and betrayal, guess who was put in charge of all of those reform minded committees?
Yep, you guessed it, yesterday Chief Justice Mini-mimi appointed Dick Cheney uh, Dick Huffman to chair the Accountability committee.
So much for that dash of hope you had….
JCW will be working with others towards building momentum to recall chief justice mini-mimi from office in 2012. Please join RTOC for more information.
________________________________________________________
Added: Further down in this thread Justice California references a letter to Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye that all but undermines what little credibility she had. This letter in PDF form can be found in this link.10 28 10 Letter to Justice Cantil-Sakauye
Here is the significance of the letter, and the e-mail below. At the October 29, 2010 JC meeting, Cantil-Sakauye announced that she received the referenced documents and distibuted them. She then asked the JC to accept the Judnick/AOC “report” on the document destruction. One JC member asked if the new information raised any new issues not addressed in the original Judnick report. Judnick said no. That was patently untrue. The Judnick report dealt only with two specific provisions– Govt. Code section 6200, and Family Code section 1819. The October 28, 2010 letter (and referenced 9.15.10 criminal complaint, which contains case references and will not be posted here) raised many more detailed concerns and questions.
Judicial Council Watcher 
SF Whistle
June 2, 2011
There have been those that have stated the Minimimi “just doesn’t get it…”
Don’t kid yourself—–she gets it…..She knows exactly what she is doing.
There have been her defenders—informing us that “she needs more time”
Don’t be fooled—-the Huffman “retirement” is a clear statement of what she will do with more time.
There is one word most applicable—-ARROGANCE—-
It’s time to launch the recall—REMEMBER ROSE BIRD—-!!!!!
Interesting coincidence that Jerry Brown was Governor when Rose Bird was sent home by a 66% vote—The perception of Rose Bird was that she was arrogant, insular and knew better than the voters—-another coincidence?
Judicial Council Watcher
June 2, 2011
recalltani.wordpress.com
Mrs. Kramer
June 2, 2011
What could she possibly be thinking with this latest appointment? Its like putting up a neon sign stating that she has no intention of addressing the concerns of those “clowns”, the trial courts. Sad to say, but it is becoming more evident by the day that the action you suggest is what will be required to restore true accountability, integrity and equality in our judicial branch. Sad.
JusticeCalifornia
June 2, 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_We_Go_Round_the_Mulberry_Bush
This is the way we cover up
cover up
cover up
this is the way we cover up
after legislative warnings
Judicial Council Watcher
June 2, 2011
What we missed in the press release announcing Huffman’s leadership role on this committee is this:
Hon. Tia Graves Fisher
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Los Angeles
An ACJ director actually got on a meaningful committee!
Congratulations to Judge Fisher and the ACJ!
Mrs. Kramer
June 2, 2011
6.2.11 MetNews
“Chief Justice Names Ashmann-Gerst, Two Others to Judicial Council
Buckley, Fisher Among Members of New ‘Accountability and Efficiency’ Group”
http://www.metnews.com/articles/2011/appt060211.htm
wendy darling
June 2, 2011
Published today, Thursday, June 2, 2011, from Courthouse News Service by Maria Dinzeo;
Chief Justice Names Four to Judicial Council, By MARIA DINZEO http://www.courthousenews.com
Long live the ACJ.
katy
June 2, 2011
I don’t understand. How is it broadening the make-up of the JC if all of the four appointees are prior appointees? Did some leave prior because they were not seeing change, etc.?
From the Courthouse News article:
“I’m still looking at ways to broaden the membership or change the appointment process,’ said the chief justice. All four have held positions on committees within the Judicial Council..”,
What does this mean?
” The chief justice added, ‘She [Ashmann Gerst] is fulfilling the seat left by Huffman but that does not mean she will ascend to whatever responsibilities he had on the council.”
So who does ascend to these responsibilities? The new accountability committee?
Judicial Council Watcher
June 2, 2011
This is purely about re-arranging deck chairs. If Tani was serious about addressing the concerns of about 20% of this states judges, she would appoint an ACJ director to the judicial council.
SF Whistle
June 2, 2011
There will not be an appointment out of the ACJ—–
Can anyone identify ANY member of the JC that questions “leadership”—-(this is a laughable term—-because as we all learned in grade school—true “leadership” welcomes and invites opposing opinions)…
The “leadership” is pathetic, anemic and is totally bereft of credibility—-there is NO member of the JC that does not sit in that wonderful, impressive round room as wounded (example Kim Turner) or without meeting the sycophant requirement….
King George filled the room with suck-ups and Minimimi has shown us all that she will maintain the tradition—-
SHE is NOT a leader—SHE has made it clear that she lacks experience, talent, judgement…any semblance of intuitive sense—-sadly she has provided us with a clear statement that her moral compass was demagnetized —–
Let’s get on with the recall—-she must GO—–
JusticeCalifornia
June 2, 2011
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. minimimi is engaging in window dressing. Rather shoddy, transparent window dressing.
minimimi needs to appoint ACJ members to the JC. As in right now.
Chuck Horan
June 2, 2011
I assume she means that Justice Ashmann Gerst will not be made the chair of the E and P committee, a position Justice Huffman held for 14 years. More likely that will go to a proven loyalist and ACJ hater, someone like Judge Herman, for example. We’ll see. Those who said that nothing changed when the former Chief departed are being proven right, day after day. While I personally believe that Justice Ashmann Gerst is a very good pick (I respect her greatly) the fact that Judge DeAlba from Sacramento, for example, was given a council spot is just horrible. He sought to undermine his own court’s endorsement of AB 1208 by signing a letter to the bill’s author urging him to disregard the endorsement letter from his Presiding Judge. A bit like Judge Herman’s move in writing his own letter when CJA’s neutrality was too tough to swallow. DeAlba’s loyalty to the Chief and AOC was apparently promptly rewarded with a council spot. Clapping erasers still seems to work.
As for Justice Huffman chairing Accountability? The chief could not have made a clearer statement that NO changes of any substance will be forthcoming short of hiring a skywriter to place the message over AOC headquarters.
The views expressed, as always, are strictly my own.
wendy darling
June 2, 2011
Not surprising; just more variations on The Emperor’s New Clothes.
Line staff employees at 455 Golden Gate Ave. have known for months that there would nothing new with the “new” Chief Justice – it was made explicitly clear to them early on. The only question is whether the State legislature has also figured this out.
Sad to say, but recall is looking like an attractive option.
Long live the ACJ.
JusticeCalifornia
June 2, 2011
here we go round the mulberry bush was on my mind this morning. Now I just cannot get the Rolling Stones song “stupid girl” off my mind.
Throwing a bone won’t work.
Real, difficult (for the cj/jc/aoc status quo) visceral change is necessary.
Nothing else will do.
And get rid of the ethically challenged (seek resignations) or there is no credibility.
Mrs. Kramer
June 2, 2011
Invitation for public comment to the Judicial Council. Proposals for Changes to Rules of Court, Forms, and Legislation
http://www.courts.ca.gov/policyadmin-invitationstocomment.htm
Please note that comments received will become part of the PUBLIC RECORD OF THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL’S ACTIONS. You may submit comments online, or mail them to the address specified…. (hmmmmm? public record?)
JusticeCalifornia
June 2, 2011
I personally have never regretted going on record regarding public comments. Everyone just needs to be aware that anyone and everyone will be able to read the comments.
Mrs. Kramer
June 3, 2011
“Everyone just needs to be aware that anyone and everyone will be able to read the comments.” Yes. That’s the point.
I have a suggestion that I am intending to submit: If a complaint for violation of Canons of Judicial Ethics is lodged against a judicial member of the Supreme Court, the Judicial Council or the Commission on Judicial Performance, the complaint is to be investigated by the Bureau of State Auditors.
Right now, CJP members have complete immunity when they fail to investigate serious and proven ethics violations of their peers (and themselves) — who oversee the funding, policies and ethical behavior of all courts. When a SC, JC or CJP judiciary is involved in ethics violations, there is inherent potential for conflict of interest with no safeguaud against collusion and cronyism in the upper echilon of the judicial branch. Additionally, the current situation allows potential for organized retribution against judiciaries who are not in the favor of the upper echilon.
A government agency (CJP) whose members have absolute immunity for misdeeds of failing to investigate judicial misdeeds leaves the capability for absolute power corruption in judicial branch. We need a safeguard to assure there is transparency and ethical behavior within the “independant agency” of the CJP, that works quite closely with the JC and SC. This safeguard of the BSA being incharge of handling ethics violation charges against JC, CJP and SC judiciaries is needed so that no one has the capability to deem CA’s judicial policy setters (including themselves) to be above the law. What do you think?
Michael Paul
June 2, 2011
Look on the bright side-
She could have appointed Bernie Madoff the head of finance, she could have appointed Jack Abramoff to the Office of Governmental Affairs and she could have hired the hells angels for executive protection.
Six months of nothing but lip service.
SF Whistle
June 3, 2011
Michael—
What makes you certain that Bernie-Jack and the hell’s angels would have been a bad thing?—Perhaps their appointments would have been an improvement….
Michael Paul
June 2, 2011
By the way, the AOC is still hiring. About eight months ago, an AOC IT recruiter contacted me about going to work as a temp doing my old job. About four months ago, same thing, different recruiter.
About a week ago, I get yet another headhunter contacting me about going corp to corp with the AOC as a consultant. Not a temp, not an employee.
On the bright side, most of my work can be found in the new trial court facilities standards 2011 which is one of the items up for public comment. That’s good to see. I would, in conjunction with Shen, Milsom, Wilke and Dennis Leung, would be responsible for most of the technology written therein. I’m glad someone finally found the time to put it all together. Good reading for the IT folks out there.
Mrs. Kramer
June 3, 2011
Michael, you write, “About a week ago, I get yet another headhunter contacting me about going corp to corp with the AOC as a consultant. Not a temp, not an employee.”
Did you happen to inquire about how much your state employee pension would be under this arrangment?
Mrs. Kramer
June 3, 2011
Interesting timing for the CJ to take a personal, videod news jab at Calderon…as in yesterday.
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2011/06/02/video-california-supreme-court-chief-justice-tani-cantil-sakauye-on-comment-about-her-looks/
What happened to she is “too classy” to speak of this…over a month ago?
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/two-prominent-women-lawyers-gr.html
The sales pitch today is going to be, “Give the little lady a chance…but don’t call her the little lady.” I think she is stunningly attractive. Does that make me sexist? Does that have one damn thing to do with whether AB1208 is good for the judicial branch or not? I would LOVE to know who is advising them on their PR/marketing.
Judicial Council Watcher
June 3, 2011
Tony “I want my life back” Hayward
Mrs. Kramer
June 3, 2011
They are shamelessly relentless at trying to defend an indefensable position over providing needed checks and balances in the judicial branch. The message of that video yesterday over something minor that occurred over a month ago is: “If you vote AB1208, then you must be a sexist male, just like Charles Calderon – or you don’t support your sisters in women’s rights.” They are obviously going for an emotional sale.
My apologies for being entertained by the marketing spins over such a serious matter. But, I wonder who wrote some of the presentations for the legislators who will stand in opposition to AB1208 today? There is this one heavyset, blond legislator that I have watched the last couple of days. She reminds me of Nancy Grace. I hope she gets up to speak. 🙂
wendy darling
June 3, 2011
Published today, Friday, June 3, on Courthouse News Service:
Sixteen Los Angeles Judges Resign From California Judges Assn., By Sherri M. Okamoto, Staff Writer
Former Presiding Judge Czuleger Writes Colleagues, Seeking to Stanch Departures. http://www.metnews.com
Long live the ACJ.
Mrs. Kramer
June 3, 2011
That is disturbing that no reply was even received by the judiciaries who raised concerns of a CJA Exec Comm member/AOC appointed overseer, using faux 501(c)6 letterhead to relay a message to the media/legislators. No one even asked them if the promise not to do it again was an adequate resolution for the damage done.
It does not make sense that Herman needed to voice his opinion to the CJ via a CJA letterhead for a position she already supports. There would have been no media attention on that letter without the faux letterhead of CJA.
If I were a member of CJA, I would want to know who all in the CJA and the JC were aware of Herman’s intent to send the letter with CJA faux letterhead, before he sent it.
wendy darling
June 3, 2011
Published today, Friday, June 3, by Cheryl Miller and The Recorder, the on-line publication of CalLaw:
Courthouse Construction Estimates Break New Ground, by Cheryl Miller.
http://www.law.com/jsp/ca/PubArticleCA.jsp?id=1202496136895&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1
Long live the ACJ.
wendy darling
June 3, 2011
Also published late today, Friday, June 3, from Cheryl Miller and The Recorder, the on-line publication of CalLaw:
Calderon Shelves AB 1208, the Trial Court Rights Act, by Cheryl Miller
June 3, 2011
The Trial Court Rights Act, controversial legislation that divided the judiciary and put the chief justice on the defensive early in her tenure, was quietly shelved today.
http://www.law.com
To Judge Horan and the ACJ: What happened? And what happens now?
Long live the ACJ.
Chuck Horan
June 4, 2011
The bill has strong support, but is also generating furious opposition from the Chief Justice and the AOC. This bill strikes at their heart– the ability to control over $2.0 billion annually of trial court expenses. Calderon did not want to move it out of the Assembly until we have a clearer picture of moving the bill all the way to enactment. Calderon is very committed to getting this done, as are we. As Calderon said in the Cheryl Miller article: “I think it will be useful to have some time between now and when the bill does move to the Senate.” This is a very accurate statement. Please don’t lose faith or commitment. We haven’t, and we won’t.
This isn’t a sprint. It is an ultra-marathon. Everybody get your water bottles. lol
Onward goes the ACJ! Long live Wendy Darling!
tony maino
June 4, 2011
As usual my friend Chuck Horan is spot on. Assemblyman Calderon has given the Chief Justice, the Judicial Council and the AOC time to mend their ways. They will not be able to do this as they have so much ego tied up in programs such as CCMS and courtroom construction that that they can do nothing but continue what they have been doing.
When AB 1208 is again considered by the Legislature I predict that the Chief Justice will have even less influence in the Legislature and in the Governor’s office than she has at present; CCMS will continue to be over budget, delayed again, and still not working; courthouse construction costs will outrage the public and the Legislature; and the press will continue to investigate and question how the judicial branch is governed and how it spends money.
Combined with the above we will have more AOC employees in 2012 than we had in 2011. We will have more committees in 2012 than in 2011. We will have more whining than leadership.
We do live in interesting times.
wendy darling
June 4, 2011
Thank you, Judge Horan and Judge Maino, for the update on AB 1208.
Given the Chief Justice’s most recent “appointments” to the Judicial Council/re-arranging of deck chairs, it’s unrealistic to expect, or even hope, that the CJ, the Judicial Council, or the AOC have any intention to “mend their ways.”
Now that AB 1208 is a two-year bill, it might be useful to use the time to start circulating recall petitions for the Chief Justice.
Long live the ACJ.
Mrs. Kramer
June 4, 2011
http://recalltani.wordpress.com/about/
JusticeCalifornia
June 4, 2011
http://www.blackjackchamp.com/casino-news/2103-schwarzenegger-nominates-blackjack-dealer-for-california-chief-of-justice/
Mrs. Kramer
June 5, 2011
Don’t say, “nice, attractive, blackjack dealer”. Say “ameanable person in control of bringing you good fortune and wealth”.
http://www.calchamber.com/Headlines/Pages/06032011-PoliticalPollsterandCommunicationsExpertProvidesInsightsonEffectiveCommunication.aspx
http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/2011/06/illinois-punishes-workers-for-employer.html
JusticeCalifornia
June 5, 2011
What just cracks me up is minimimi’s alleged outrage about being called “attractive”. She didn’t whack her good buddy Justice Scotland upside the head for saying it did she? Didn’t think so. And I bet she exploited her looks to the max when she was dealing cards at the casinos, to maximize her tips. . . . .
Judicial Council Watcher
June 5, 2011
When Justice Scotland made the remark about the current chief justice being “a heck of a lot better looking than the last chief justice” I raised my eyebrow that a jurist would publicly say that. I would have expected it from a politician but not a jurist, yet no one showed any sign of being offended then. Why were no lawyers offended then? Lawyers would have to be heard by the jurist.
As has been represented elsewhere, this sideshow issue was the only straw some had to grasp – and they did. Their being ‘offended’ was politically opportunist and politically timed. I guess a different standard applies when you have a womanizer for governor that appoints you chief justice.
Sideshows are very, very effective at creating pariahs out of politicians as well.
Just ask Ellen Corbett.
Mrs. Kramer
June 5, 2011
What is quite telling and not humorous about it is the timing of her “greatly offended outrage” with AB 1208 sponsor, Calderon, being made public, June 2nd. http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2011/06/02/video-california-supreme-court-chief-justice-tani-cantil-sakauye-on-comment-about-her-looks/
Contrary to prior statements, she is not “too classy” to speak of this (when the marketing of a false concept that AB1208 is related feminism, is optimumly timed)
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/two-prominent-women-lawyers-gr.html
Dirty pool, just like the Herman CJA letter. Sometimes when I am trying to sort out what something really says and what other questions I have, I will take a writing and spoof it.
http://www.metnews.com/articles/2011/cja051811.htm
*SPOOF* *SPOOF* *SPOOF*
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Page 1
CJA President, Judge Homin Say Ethical Indiscretions Have Been Forgiven and Forgotten
By Anonymous MetMuse Staff Writer
California Judges Assimilation (CJA) President said yesterday the organization has sidestepped concerns raised by several judges over a letter sent to the chief justice by CJA Executive Board member, Judge Ad Homin, which contained artwork from the organization’s website as a letterhead.
CJA’s President noted that Homin “has expressed his regret over this matter of getting caught lobbying against the message of the members of CJA” and both said they “consider the matter closed for discussion or ethics review.”
Members of the CJA Delegation on Friday objected to Homan’s use of “modified (ergo fake as Hell) CJA logo/masthead art” to convey a message to legislative decision makers which “contradicted the bulk of our statewide membership’s positions” expressed in the survey.
Superior Court Judge Susan Lemme Tellyathe Gist also emailed Mouse—a vice president of CJA who has been nominated to head the group next year—contending Homan’s letter violated bylaws which prohibit CJA members from speaking on behalf of the group without authorization and forging fake letterhead while doing so.
Following a closed door discussion with the Superior Court jurist and other boring members including the junior jurist’s wife who sits on the CJA Ethic Committee, CJA President said he was “assured that no further correspondence with such a CJA graphic will be used by Judge Homin in the future because only a one time usage was required to get the misinformation to where it needed to go.”
Homan yesterday explained that “we agreed the graphic would be retired” to “avoid any future understandings by members of CJA.”
CJA President acknowledged that the appearance “of a CJA graphic image on the letterhead gave people who can read the impression that [Homan] was speaking on behalf of CJA as it was intended to do,” even though double speak in the content “made it appear…that he thought he was expressing his personal views only, and not the views of the CJA and its members whose vote he was attempting to usurp.”
Although there is no evidence of a vote taken, Homin also emphasized that his personal view was on behalf of CJA members in his district, which encompasses five counties, and said he was “gratified the CJA executive committee concluded that [his] personal view was properly sent on behalf of his District, and not on behalf of CJA. Otherwise it would have been properly deemed a serious breach of judicial ethics by the new chief justice’s chosen head of the AOC/CCMS committee.”
Homan’s mission last Wednesday informed the chief justice that the results of a CJA member survey conducted in March—which indicated a majority of the state’s bench officers are dissatisfied with branch leadership (duh!)—did not adequately represent his personal views of the personal views of the members or the wishes of the Judicial Council regarding AB1208.
His miscommuniqué to the media came two days after CJA President sent a letter for the chief justice on behalf of the organization reporting the survey results and providing a summary of written comments by respondents that were obtained and relayed by ethical means.
*SPOOF* *SPOOF* *SPOOF*
Mrs. Kramer
June 5, 2011
The Taxicab Standard. “disinformation campaign: ‘Doubt is our product since it is the best means of competing with the ‘body of fact’ that exists in the mind of the general public [and legislative decision makers]. It was set in 1948 in the back of a taxi by two scientists on their way to a meeting. It’s often referred to as ‘the taxicab standard.”
Claims of offensive anti-feminism shared with the media (and legislators) the day before the vote? CJA survey does not accurately reflect judicial membership opinion–shared with the media 2 days after the accurately tallied results were made public?
Same game. Same players. Different day. All they do is deflect and sell doubt that irrefutable facts are relevant when making decisions. When they do it, you have to publicly call them on it before it is dissiminated to the point that it influences perception and decision.
Click to access Doubt-is-their-Product.pdf
Author, Dr. Michaels, now heads OSHA. He has shut down “the taxicab standard” in lot of policy.
Mrs. Kramer
June 5, 2011
Sideshows, yes. How is it that Assemblyman Calderon’s comments of nice and attractive were worthy of the CJ’s public videod statement of being offended (the day before a vote on a bill he sponsored); but Justice Huffman can refer to judges of CA as “clowns” and she anoints him overseer of ethics and accountability–a position he has already held over these “clowns” for 14 years?
Turner destroying documents, Marin no admonishment – rewarded.
Herman using faux letter head of judicial 501(c)6 no admonishment – rewarded
Non-state employees receiving state pensions no admonishment – rewarded
Unlicensed contractors being overpaid no admonishment – rewarded
Inept, untouchable judge on assigment in
family court in Redding no admonishment – rewarded
Misuse of Redevelopment funds to take
non-blighted historic property by eminent domain no admonishment – rewarded
Firing of AOC whistleblowers of waste & abuse no admonishment – rewarded
Gross mismanagement of IT/tax dollars no admonishment – rewarded
Closing courts while giving AOC backpay no admonishment – rewarded
CCP 425.19 used to aid insurer fraud & adversely
impact public health/social services interstate
by crminal means no admonishment – rewarded
A comment of nice and attractive is offensive and worthy of CJ news comment the day before vote that would take autonomous control of all of the above abuse of power out of the wrong hands? The Taxicab Standard
JusticeCalifornia
June 5, 2011
Mrs. Kramer, I am similarly disturbed by the timing of minimimi’s videotaped “outrage”. In my opinion, minimimi disgraced herself and all serious female professionals by disingenuously trying to exploit the “serious” immigrant female of color card on June 2, just before a scheduled vote on a matter that affects the entire CA judiciary. I do believe she was trying to make that serious vote that truly has nothing to with her appearance, all about her appearance. That is one reason I am not letting this issue go.
She has a couple of pr problems based in solid fact that are not going away.
1. Minimimi’s chosen pre-law occupations were gambling and cocktail waitressing. That makes us want to take minimimi, and her selective claimed outrage about comments about her appearance, real seriously. She clearly chose professions that emphasized, and exploited, and maximized financial return on, her appearance.
2. As minimimi proudly and repeatedly tells the world she is female of color from an immigrant family. She exploits all three of those aspects– immigrant; female; of color– politically, constantly. She claims to be a champion for domestic violence victims. Yeah, right. . . .last fall she turned her back on immigrant female domestic violence victims, and in fact, on ALL of California’s mothers, fathers and children forced into the family court system.
Last Fall, she urged the Judicial Council to accept an internal AOC report that excused AOC/trial court mass destruction of important child custody mediation evidence during ongoing child custody litigation and pending a state family court audit that was initiated based on claims that trial courts and court personnel were not following state-mandated custody recommendation and domestic violence protocols. The information destroyed included but was not limited to graphic evidence of domestic violence and neglect, child abuse and endangerment, mental illness, substance abuse, and more. minimimi was personally aware that such evidence was destroyed in a number of high profile domestic violence child custody cases involving immigrant women of color who had lost their children to their alleged abusers. Oh well. . . .principles cannot get in the way of politics and ambition, can they?
Yes, minimimi, your background cuts both ways. Grow up. Get real. And for heaven’s sake, stop whining.
Mrs. Kramer
June 5, 2011
Justice California,
Of all the wrongdoings discussed on this board, the one you write of is always the most haunting to me. I have not seen your evidence or documentation but based on what you say the understanding that I get is abuse of power and deliberate indifference aiding with crimes against humanity. Strong statement. Can you prove it? From what I know and can evidence of CCP425.19, I can. If you can prove it, that makes two.
JusticeCalifornia
June 5, 2011
Of course I can, Mrs. Kramer. JCW, you will be getting a PDF letter dated October 28, 2010, to then-Justice Cantil Sakauye.
Here is the significance of the letter, and the e-mail below. At the October 29, 2010 JC meeting, Cantil-Sakauye announced that she received the referenced documents and distibuted them. She then asked the JC to accept the Judnick/AOC “report” on the document destruction. One JC member asked if the new information raised any new issues not addressed in the original Judnick report. Judnick said no. That was patently untrue. The Judnick report dealt only with two specific provisions– Govt. Code section 6200, and Family Code section 1819. The October 28, 2010 letter (and referenced 9.15.10 criminal complaint, which contains case references and will not be posted here) raised many more detailed concerns and questions.
Everyone referenced in the e-mail below was well aware that what Judnick said was untrue. Not one of them said a word to contradict Judnick at the Judicial Council meeting, as the Council was asked to approve the Judnick report.
“From: info@justicecalifornia.org [mailto:info@justicecalifornia.org]
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2010 2:20 PM
To: Ronald.george@jud.ca.gov
Cc: susan.carey@jud.ca.gov; curtis child; Donna Hershkowitz; Lynn Holton; William Vickrey; Ellen Corbett; Mike Feuer
Subject: Urgent information for Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s JC presentation tomorrow
Dear Chief Justice George:
Transmitted herewith is information relevant to my prior communications about the Marin Superior Court child custody evidence destruction.
I provided the attached information to Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s assistant (I don’t have a direct e-mail address), but I am requesting that all copied on this e-mail will ensure that Justice Cantil-Sakauye, and all members of the Judicial Council who are being asked to vote on Item J, will be provided with the attached three documents (perhaps by e-mail today?) and given ample time to review them before the vote.
I am also requesting that the full Request for Criminal Investigation with attachments that was hand-delivered to the Judicial Council on September 17, 2010, be copied and provided to each Judicial Council member.
Thank you. Barbara Kauffman
P.S. Below is the transmittal e-mail that has been sent to members of the legislature and various interested others.
“Re Item J on the CA Judicial Council Agenda for the 10/29/2010 Judicial Council meeting:
The Marin Superior Court destruction of child custody evidence includes issues involving spoliation/destruction of evidence/color of law/due process/improper delegation of judicial authority. Yet, it appears the Judicial Council is being asked to approve and publish a cursory, incomplete AOC report by an apparent non-lawyer (John Judnick) on these issues. As set forth in the JC agenda introduction to the report on the California Courts website, acceptance and publication of the Judnick AOC report is INTENDED to induce reliance on the report by trial courts and the public. That is a very serious matter.
The attached documents have been provided to Justice Cantil-Sakauye early this afternoon. They include a letter explaining concerns about the issues; a request for criminal investigation that was hand-delivered to the Judicial Council on September 17, 2010; and the state auditor’s letter evidencing the fact that the state auditor’s access to family court files and personnel was being blocked while the Marin child custody evidence destruction was taking place.
Justice Cantil-Sakauye’s appointment as Chief Justice is being viewed with enthusiasm and optimism by many in the family law community, especially given her familiarity and involvement with domestic violence issues.
Given that this is so, many will be watching what is going to happen tomorrow with great interest.
Best Regards, Barbara Kauffman “
Judicial Council Watcher
June 5, 2011
The letter you referenced in the comment above has been posted as an attachment appended to the primary post.
Mrs. Kramer
June 5, 2011
Justice California,
So what needs to be done to stop the serious adverse ramifications of the matter? Who needs to do it? And why aren’t they?
AB1208 is now a two year bill, giving time to explore all reasons of why it is necessary. Seems to me that what you write supports the evidence of ACJ’s claim that autonomous CONTROL of the judicial branch decisions need to be removed from the hands of solely the few.
It is a chilling thought, that the new CJ of the biggest legal system in the US is evidenced of knowing of records of child abuse being destroyed by her court employees – leaving children in the hands of their abusers to this very day–and no one says a word.
Worse, instead of being admonisihed, the record destroyer has been given a seat at the AOC table (next to those who practice CCP 425.19 that has also left many children in harm’s way -while no one denies it has happened, but also does nothing to stop it.)
Are any judges, who have complained of breaches of duty within the AOC/JC/judicial branch, speaking of this matter of the CJ/JC/AOC rewarding the destroying of court records that aids child abuse?
JusticeCalifornia
June 5, 2011
The reality and significance of what we are watching, right now:
1. minimimi (before she became cj minimimi) was, by choice, a blackjack dealer and/or cocktail waitress throughout law school, and after law school when she couldn’t find a law job. Her educational, administrative, and professional experience — and her performance to date– do not appear to qualify her for the position she now holds.
2. minimimi assured the public that everything that passes through the Judicial Council is thoroughly “vetted”. (can someone find and post that video, please? I think that was the audition tape that got our blackjack dealer the current “part” she now plays).(Added by JCW: Agreed, this was her casting call. http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=7298861 ) Therefore, she has admitted that she has “vetted” all judicial council issues since 2008. Hey Senators, are you taking notes?
3. We know from the Marin document destruction debacle (and that is just one debacle) that TOP LEADERSHIP knows that certain AOC personnel, Judicial Council personnel, and trial court personnel, do their very best to lie and cover up bad third branch behavior and destroy evidence about that bad third branch behavior, notwithstanding the horrific and unconstitutional consequences for families and children. We know for sure RG and minimimi know it, and have encouraged or facilitated it– along with so many others. (I am informed and believe that the AOC has instructed counties to destroy their mediation records–someone correct me if I am wrong.) My goodness, so very many warning letters have been written to and ignored by so many in the last decade. . . .just like the 10/28/10 letter.
4. So, thanks to minimimi, all you willing sycophants — and all those who have unwittingly been drafted and sucked into being sycophants– can now take responsibility for all those last minute Judicial Council binders you were and are handed. And all those committee notes and binders you are suddenly handed. Because minimimi has assured us all that you were all vetted, and paying attention.
5. The point? Wake up!!!!! Top leadership has been corrupted, and is going down. Like a drowning person, struggling to gasp for air and survive, it will grab onto, hang onto, and use and take down anyone within reach. We all took senior lifesaving way back when, didn’t we? The way you deal with drowning people is flip them around so they cannot drown you, subdue them, and swim to safety.
6. You gotta know when to hold em, know when to fold em, know when to walk away, know when to run. . . .that includes you minimimi. Clean house, and democratize the branch, and maybe you will survive. Keep defending the status quo, and playing musical chairs on the RG Titanic with your historically compromised/unethical new good buddies like Kim Turner and Verna Adams, and I do believe you will be bounced – or minimized to the maximum extent possible via legislation, initiative and branch rebellion.
JC
Mrs. Kramer
June 6, 2011
It seems to me that another law enacted could help tremendously to stop cronyism, conflicted interests and deliberate indifference. What if when an ethics violation complaint was lodged against judicial members of the SC, JC and/or CJP, the complaint was to be addressed by the Bureau of State Auditors, not the CJP? Does that make sense?
JusticeCalifornia
June 6, 2011
http://www.bestonlinecasinos.org/blog/ex-blackjack-dealer-appointed-as-california-state%e2%80%99s-chief-justice/844/
Noreen Evans, you and your Senate Judiciary Committee and other legislative colleagues should look more carefully at Tani and her history, and various of her very ethically-challenged actions, policies, and favorite appointees.
And the information (including but not limited to JusticeCalifornia bulletins) sent your way about the CA court system, since you have been in office.
Or you could be compromised along with others, for not paying attention to the REAL issues affecting CA residents and constituents, as opposed to a blackjack dealer/cocktail waitress turned (perfectly politically timed, and carefully selected) “outraged” feminist sideshow orchestrated by Tani and others to obfuscate the corruption and mismanagement that has taken place in the branch, at the expense of legislative constituents.
JusticeCalifornia
June 6, 2011
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/19/the-beauty-advantage.html
JusticeCalifornia
June 6, 2011
read the newsweek article before you watch the above video, so you understand a possible relation to our former blackjack-dealer/cocktail waitress-turned cj’s faux (and well-timed, personally advantageous, and very selective) outrage.
See also:
http://epicanthus.net/2010/07/22/schwarzenegger-nominates-filipina-to-head-state-supreme-court/
and it’s question of the day: What’s powering Tani’s meteoric rise to judicial prominence?
Tani’s educational and legal professional background is decidedly average in the grand scheme of things, as far as I can tell.
Although her good friend/mentor Justice Arthur Scotland has said Tani is “lot better looking” than CA’s first chief justice, and has also said she has a “wonnnnnderrrfullll personality”.
Ummm. . . . .isn’t this a cue for all those concerned about comments about Tani’s looks and personality to smack Scotland, and the press, upside the head, for talking about blackjack dealer/cocktail waitress turned cj Tani’s personality and looks? I looked for internet disapproval of Scotland’s comments, but found nary a smack.
What???? Are we talking about politically advantageous but disingenuous discriminatory feminist /ethnic smacking? I believe so.
wendy darling
June 6, 2011
How about just calling it what it is . . . hypocrisy.
The House of Hypocrites, aka, “the house that George built.”
Long live the ACJ.
Mrs. Kramer
June 7, 2011
Its not just hypocricy. Its the timing that she chose to publicly play the outraged feminist card with a bill up for vote the next day that impacts how justice is carried out in California. For me, that was a true indicator of who she really is and what she is willing to do to get what she wants. It was not forthright and showed lack of character of feigning and politics by any means.
wendy darling
June 9, 2011
It is rumored in the dark hallways of 455 Golden Gate Avenue today that the next person who will soon be departing Vickrey’s inner circle at the AOC will be . . . Steven Nash. Mr. Nash, however, apparently won’t be straying far from the AOC’s orbit; he will be going to the San Bernardino Superior Court as the court’s new Court Executive Officer.
Long live the ACJ.
antonatrail
June 10, 2011
who would Nash be replacing?
JusticeCalifornia
June 10, 2011
News from the front lines in SF:
Entire volumes of files and strategic select pleadings are going missing in certain high-profile cases in San Francisco. Registers of Actions are strangely incorrect, omitting information that should be easily obtainable and that is relevant to current ongoing proceedings. Orders to Show Cause are being signed but held by judges for days until the day of the scheduled hearing on the OSC, so the OSC cannot be timely served BEFORE the hearing, and the hearing must necessarily be continued, and in the meanwhile, the judge’s clerks involved are telling litigants and court filing services trying to pick up the (signed) OSCs for service, that the judges haven’t even seen the (signed) OSCs yet, because they are “still being reviewed” somewhere. When the litigants appear at the OSC hearings before the judge who signed (but held) the OSC (that must now be continued because the OSCs were signed but not released for service) and try to put on the record what has happened and what they and the filing service were told by clerks regarding their OSCs, they are told this information is NOT RELEVANT, and NOT HELPFUL, and it SHALL NOT BE PUT ON THE RECORD. Woo hoo. . . . .
Conformed copies of pleadings are also going missing, leaving litigants with unofficial-looking black and white copies. No one has an explanation.
Minute orders are written but not entered into the record. . . .and so are unavailable to litigants and the public. . . .again, no explanation. . . .
To make matters more interesting, recused judges (who are not supposed to communicate with their successor judges) are handing over mysteriously incomplete court case files to their successors, filled with interesting sticky notes (crib notes) for the new, ostensibly impartial assigned judges.
And those are just the prejudicial procedural irregularities. . . . . . . .
Letters written to Presiding Judge Feinstein about various prejudicial irregularities going on in her courthouse are going unanswered, or are answered with “I don’t know a thing about it”.
I have been told several times, by several lawyers representing court employees, that courts target certain cases for special treatment, and court employees are instructed to “handle” these cases in a special manner designed to prejudice and harass.
Woo hoo. Hey minimimi, maybe you want to find out who is responsible and put them on our oversight committees.
sharonkramer
June 10, 2011
Now let me get this straight. Are you telling me that the clerk of the court mailing me a “yellow post it” Notice of Entry of a Judgment in 2009, of a judgment that is not found in the court records or in the computer system (but caused the lower court to claim loss of jurisdiction based on the fake date of Entry of Judgment “12/18/08”) is not legal?
1. Jan 9, 2009 after I questioned why there was no purported judgment in the court records file or why I had not been mailed any judgment :
Click to access 0d86047e6d.pdf
2. Jan 8, 2009, refusal to hear Motion for Reconsideration, based on an amended judgment date of 12.18.08. (No such judgment exists in the court or computer files.)
Click to access 7a1fae2ba5.pdf
3. What about if this fake judgment sent to me from the courts in Jan 2009 was just used in May 2011 to gag me from writing of “CCP425.19”. Is that legal?
Click to access d3331c92cf.pdf
4. And what if this fake judgment and gag order was mailed, May 6, 2011, interstate, via the US postal service to threaten a blog owner in Texas (who was just cited for a Federal OSHA advisory) to shut up (about McConnell and Huffman rewarding criminal perjury by a US Chamber medico-legal policy author in a strategic, malicious litigation over a matter of public health). You mean to tell me that a Ca licensed attorney mailing fake legal documents that originated from the CA courts to threaten someone, interstate, is not legal?
Click to access dc31c44770.pdf
Gosh, cuz these California court errors have aided and abetted billions in interstate insurer fraud to continue in private sector policy over the mold issue (while discrediting me and “legally” deeming me to be the malicious liar.)
5. In the capacity as a former CJP member, Katherine Feinstein knows quite a bit about it and how it is adversely impact US health policy. But I never heard from her after she and McConnell received this letter and this was before Huffman got his hands on it to further impliment pro-SLAPP CCP 425.19.
Click to access 2ea637d61d.pdf
JusticeCalifornia
June 10, 2011
In fact this reminds me of what has gone down in Marin, and Government Code 6200/PenalCode section 96.5 and 182 issues, and spoliation issues raised there. So long as bad behavior is rewarded (Kim Turner and Verna Adams being placed in top leadership positions after engaging in a mass destruction of child custody evidence while active cases and a state audit were pending; and Turner’s clerks engaging in the substantive retroactive modification of minute orders and registers of action without notice in the record or to parties or lawyers) the longer it will be perpetuated.
Minimimi, you were placed on ample notice that the Marin document destruction debacle was going to set precedent in the trial courts. You protected and then handsomely rewarded the culprits.
You cannot play the “innocent” card and claim that you are unaware that your actions are encouraging prejudicial trial court behavior. Policies start at the top and trickle down.
SF Whistle
June 10, 2011
Minutes ago I had a conversation with a SF Family Court litigant —-a fellow that is NO DOUBT one of the flagged, marked cases —a distinction that clearly means it is ripe for judicial retaliation, court “irregularities” and conduct from the court that mockingly screams of judicial misconduct, prejudice–bias…
The fellow that called me informed me of a new—-waay over the top court action in SF Family Court. This person was in front of a judge several weeks ago and requested that the Judge consider recusing himself. It seems upon reflection the Judge agreed and did so—
Yesterday, he received a letter from the court informing him that two weeks after recusing himself the Judge decided to put himself back in the case…….????
It seems that San Francisco Family Court is convinced it can do anything–anytime–to anyone and get away with it—-SF is determined to exceed the Marin County Family Court stench that finally resulted in an audit.
JusticeCalifornia
June 10, 2011
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/perv_takes_hit_from_his_blackjack_TNsdSXIgvsz1zBl7oWGVvI
SF Whistle
June 10, 2011
Congressman Weiner did the things he did as a consquence of ARROGANCE—
It seems that much that is going on in our judicial branch is also best understand and explained as acts of arrogance.
Minimimi is determined to plow ahead with the hope that she learns to operate the evil empire that Ron George assembled….She has NO plans to change, or correct any of the atrocities and excess of recent history or present practices. I believe I have observed her long enough to speculate that rather than reform her corrupt empire it is her intention to build upon it—-she seems to be collecting her own group of lackies and loyalists—adding to the room of fools assembled by George…
Minimimi is convinced that bluster and arrogance will somehow cover-up the fact that she is inept and has no experience as an executive that would begin to rise to the level of running the largest judicial system in the western world..
I for one—-see no coincidence in the fact that Minimimi was once a blackjack dealer and that Weiner “the weiner” was clearly attracted to blackjack dealers….?
sharonkramer
June 10, 2011
It is interesting to watch how this works. People dont start careers so they can be deceptive, for the most part. What seems to happen is that once they stay silent about deceit for the sake of career, when the matter comes up again they have to stay silent or else admit they ignored an opportunity to stop deceit the first time it came to their attention. As deceit grows and grows, its harder to stop it for those who are compromised by their remaining silent. If one doesn’t stop the growing deceit, they can’t do it later without admitting their role in aiding it to grow. Its snowballs. Pretty soon, stopping others from exposing their role in aiding the deceit becomes a main function of their job – and they have become the problems they set out to solve when they started their career many long years ago.
Its like, once you get the stain on your hand by just touching deceit, if you don’t wash it off immediately the stain will always be there and you can’t raise your hand to “swear to the truth” without the stain showing. The point being, I don’t think there is any turning back for the current judicial heirachy. It would be career suicide of the Jonestown proportion for them to admit all the past deceptions. Sadly, because of this, I think the only way to correct the problem is going to end up being a recall.
JusticeCalifornia
June 10, 2011
The following quotes were in trial court pleadings in the record of a child custody case submitted to the CA Court of Appeal and CA Supreme Court in 2009. The case involved serious claims of misconduct of Marin Presiding Family Law Judge Verna Adams and Marin Family Court Services personnel. The case was pending before the CA Supreme Court on the very date the AOC, Kim Turner and Verna Adams undertook the mass destruction of Marin Family Court Services child custody evidence.
“Our principles are founded on the immovable basis of equal right and reason.”—Thomas Jefferson.
“The best principles of our republic secure to all its citizens a perfect equality of rights”—Thomas Jefferson
“Important principles may and must be inflexible”—Abraham Lincoln
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people”—Martin Luther King
“To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men”-unknown.
“It is often easier to become outraged by injustice half a world away than by oppression and discrimination half a block from home.” –Carl T. Rowan
“If once the people become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress and Assemblies, Judges and Governors, shall all become wolves. It seems to be the law of our general nature, in spite of individual exceptions”—Thomas Jefferson
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” — unknown
“Corruption, like a ball of snow, once it’s set a rolling it must increase”- Charles Caleb Colton.
“There is no crueler tyranny than that which is perpetuated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.”—Charles de Montesquieu
“No oppression is so heavy or lasting as that which is inflicted by the perversion and exorbitance of legal authority”—Joseph Addison
“Lawless are they that make their wills their law”- William Shakespeare
“In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law. That would lead to anarchy.” –Martin Luther King
“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important”—Martin Luther King.
“I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution”—Thomas Jefferson
“A kangaroo court or kangaroo trial, also known as drumhead court-martial or Drumhead trial, is a sham legal proceeding or court. Kangaroo courts are judicial proceedings that deny due process in the name of expediency. The outcome of such a trial is essentially made in advance, usually for the purpose of providing a conviction, either by going through the motions of manipulated procedure or by allowing no defense at all.” From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
JusticeCalifornia
June 10, 2011
Thank you Mrs. Kramer and JCW
for posting the details about the money judgment secretly entered against Mrs. Kramer.
Guess what? The facts are EVER so similar to that Shasta County case I have spoken of wherein a money “judgment” was SECRETLY entered against a pro per court critic, without her knowledge, 3.5 years late, and with the apparent collusion of a Shasta lawyer, the Shasta County court clerk, and “temporarily” assigned Shasta County Family law presiding Judge Jack Halpin. That SECRET “judgment”, entered by all concerned in violation of state law, put the pro per court critic litigant at risk of incarceration.
Jack Halpin, the retired judge who signed the improper money “judgment” has been “temporarily” assigned to Shasta County since 1994 (almost 18 years) in patent violation of the CA Constitution, which provides that judges shall be appointed by the Governor or elected, and subject to the oversight of the Commission on Judicial Performance. He was repeatedly assigned by Ron George, over and over since 1996, and is continuing to be assigned by minimimi in 2011.
And this is why it is so important to share information and connect the dots.
Court critics are apparently being selectively targeted, harassed and railroaded. At all levels.
sharonkramer
June 10, 2011
Yes, thank you, JCW. I have no intention of being illegally gagged by the courts based on fake judgments that were never entered to cover up that the Chair of the CJP and Chair of the Exec Comm JC, were willing participants in a malicious strategic litigation by an author of medico-legal policy for the US Chamber of Commerce, that is adverse to the health and safety of the US public and Ca worker.
And I certainly have no intention of letting them get away with using the US postal service to threaten and intimidate a blog owner, who was just cited for a federal OSHA advisory, with fake judgment documents from the court and an accompanying illegal gag order. At the end of the day, you can’t get around it and you can’t cover it up.
It’s now interstate US Postal Service mail fraud to try to squealch the irrefutable evidence of influential Ca justices aiding and abetting interstate insurer fraud and illegal gag orders. I could go to jail for telling you this and evidencing it, based on the illegal gag order to shut me up of what McConnell and Huffman did to the public by rewarding criminal perjury in strategic litigation.
C’est la vie. Given the perverse situation, I believe it is imperative to fight for the Constitution of the United States and I am not shutting up of those who have violated their sworn judicial oaths to uphold it.
Judicial Council Watcher
June 10, 2011
It is our endeavor to stay outside of specific litigation except as it pertains to the AOC and Judicial Council.
Judicial Council Watcher gets a large (and increasing) amount of email traffic and reasonably convincing evidence that causes both us and our media partners to question the impartiality of the court system, the existence of lamborghini justice (get the well connected in and out of court fast, quietly and unscathed) and widespread tampering with judgments and other court records, complaints of simulated litigation and simulated ADR resolution for the uber well connected “frequent flyers”.
JCW has gone out of our way to delete posts by Mrs. Kramer pertaining to her case. We don’t like engaging in censorship so we did so with Mrs. Kramer’s informed consent. However, JCW has been getting a noticable uptick into these allegations. Unlike Mrs. Kramer, these allegations are coming from attorneys in good standing and mostly from specific courts.
We find this noticable uptick into these allegations disturbing and our media partners have began looking into these increasing number of reports. While these matters are not the specific goal of this blog, in a roundabout way they should be. The thought that JCW holds is that when the serpents head is removed, the rest of the serpent will die. JCW approved the last Kramer post because it is indicative of many of the allegations being made elsewhere. While JCW has no intention of addressing these issues in a comprehensive fashion in this blog our media partners have requested we forward all such information to them.
sharonkramer
June 11, 2011
JCW is absolutely correct and I agree with how they have chosen to run this website. I am thankful to JCW for allowing some of my posts to go thru in the first place, that has allowed several in the CA judicial system to see the evidence of what is happening over a matter of public health by the deception in judicial rulings and opinions by members of the JC, CJP and others. (You are communicating with a woman who basically blogged her way to a Federal Government Accountability Office audit that changed US public health policy on a federal level. Now it needs to change in the private sector.)
You are my safety net that I will not be retaliated against based on an gag order obtained by illicit means, when I refuse to be silenced from speaking out of the well evidenced corruption. And should I be retaliated against for defending the First Amendment of Constitution of the United States in the face of those who have forsaken their oaths to uphold it, I will know that many in the Ca judicial system know why.
With that said, I too feel that JCW is absolutely correct to keep the focus of this blog on the corruption, cronyism and ineptitude occurring in administrative duties at the AOC and 455 Golden Gate Ave, with the use of tax dollars — not individual cases that are currently befor the courts. So thank you, JCW, for helping to protect me and my ability to speak the truth in America without fear of retribution and with no one knowing or understanding why, should retaliation occur. Enough said.
sharonkramer
June 14, 2011
Doing a little research this morning. Found this lawyer’s comments from the ABA Journal on a thread about an article Re: AB1208 and the “rebel judges” of ACJ, to be sarcastically witty:
“Ron Branson
May 12, 2011 9:03 AM CDT
For years I have been following the courts, having brought 14 suits to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1995 I wrote an Initiative to hold judges accountable before a Special Independent People’s Grand Jury. Having witnessed first hand what is going on in the judiciary, I have become quite cynical in getting my point across in order to elicit attention to the disparity of the situation.
I have proposed a way we can vastly improve justice system here in California. First, we close all the courts within California, take all the money slated for the judiciary and divide it up equally and send it to all the judges conditioned upon they must stay at home and not show up for work. Then we settle or differences outside the judiciary by flipping quarters.
Yes, my cynical suggestion raises eyebrows, but it gets my point across, which is, this is how we can vastly improve our current judicial system. At least justice would be done 50% of the time. Prevailing on justice in our current judicial system in California is like purchasing a lottery ticket. I use to say like winning in Las Vegas, but the odds there were too high.
Consider, how is it that we can have judges swear by an Oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, but then advocate that judges should be immune from suit when they willfully violate the Constitution and all laws made in pursuance thereof?
Truthfully, there is an answer to the judicial problem here in California, but the music is not going to be sweet to the ears of the judges. It is the Judicial Accountability Initiative Law. Tab that into your Google and smoke it!
I am Ron Branson, and that’s my opinion”
There are other good comments on this thread, too:
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/tight_budgets_produce_judicial_discontent_in_california/
JusticeCalifornia
June 15, 2011
Mrs. Kramer
Limitation of judicial immunity remains of interest to many. CCP 170.1s are routinely thwarted, the Commission on Judicial Performance rarely acts to protect litigants, and the courts of appeal rarely interfere with trial court “discretion” even in extreme cases. In addition, as we have seen in the case of Judge Jack Halpin, assigned retired judges (assigned by the chief justice for decades rather than days, in violation of the Constitutional requirement that judges be appointed by the Governor or elected by the public) are beyond the reach of voters and the CJP. In other words, the wagons are circled to protect third branch misconduct.
Some of us have thought that AB 1208 would be helpful, but the AOC is blocking even minor changes in the status quo that would make trial courts more responsible and accountable to the public for their actions.
In fact, I have observed and heard that the oppressive among the branch are now, more than ever, doing any damn thing they want to in order to shut down criticism. . . .
So perhaps it is time for new public efforts to obtain oversight.
We were able to raise the issue last year, in a relatively short period of time, without much fanfare or backing.
It would appear the time is ripe for a more organized, funded effort. That would take some planning and outreach. But I think given the current complete lack of protection against overt judicial oppression that is taking place. . . .perhaps the time is now.
February 18, 2010 this language was first floated to legislative members:
“A judicial officer, court commissioner, or referee shall not be protected by the doctrine of judicial immunity for malicious or corrupt violations of law knowingly and intentionally committed by that judicial officer, court commissioner, or referee while acting in his or her official capacity.”
That was amended to exclude judges and AB 2475 was created. This is what we ended up with:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_2451-2500/ab_2475_bill_20100428_amended_asm_v96.html
And this was the opposition:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_2451-2500/ab_2475_cfa_20100503_135809_asm_comm.html
Nothing has happened since –except the branch has become bolder in its efforts to silence critics and maintain absolute, unfettered power. If the branch will not police itself and protect the public, oversight must be imposed externally.
Mrs. Kramer (or others interested in exploring imposition of limits on judicial immunity) please feel free to e-mail me at info@justicecalifornia.org.
mrs kramer
June 15, 2011
Yes. I would be interested in that. Took a quick read. Its alot to absorb without seeing the supporting evidence documents. I am of the opinion that the laws that govern the independant state agency, the CJP, is also in some need of rewrite on the subject of immunity. Many of their members are not even judges and their members who are judges have immunity to not do their job of policing for ethics violations among the judicial branch – including members of the CJP.
I am a little tied up right now concerning the US postal service being used to mail threats of litigation with phoney judgment documents that originated from the courts to a federal OSHA publication cited reference that is adverse to the interests of the affiliates of the US Chamber (and the JC and CJP and the CJ – old and new). But after the 21st, count me in!
SF Whistle
June 15, 2011
God bless you Mrs Kramer—-you are absolutely correct—The CJP is urgently in need of much more than a “rewrite”—
The CJP needs to be taken apart and put back together as a real agency–
Accountability could be achieved through an agency that actually would undertake the work of the CJP—-but NOT this sham of a “commission on judicial performance”….
CJ George was able to take ownership of the CJP and staff it with a full compliment of loyalist-lackies—
The farce of the CJP needs to be unmasked—people need to understand that this agency is a deadletter office for judicial complaints—complaints are logged in and die there—
SF Whistle
June 15, 2011
I am absolutely convinced that NOW is the time to launch a Statewide Initiative to limit Judicial Immunity–
There has NEVER been a time in the history of California’s Judicial branch that there is such evidence of runaway courts—corruption—misconduct—RETALIATION–
There are a number of truly corrupt Judges that design court room outcomes….flaunt bias….ignore law and court rules and make a mockery of justice.
There are a number of judges that are nothing more than petty thugs—-more “weiner-like” than Anthony….
Sadly –there will be no ACCOUNTABILITY without a citizen revolt—An initiatice to limit immunity would be a fitting message announcing that we have had enough—
TIME FOR REAL CHANGE—–Minimimi’s statements about 1208 being “disrespectful to the branch” forms a disgustingly arrogant answer to any call for reform—-It’s time to show her how respectful we really are–There are those among is that truly believe that our system should be the best in the world—and that we are clearly aware that change will not occur under her watch—perhaps there should be 2 campaigns—an initiative and a recall—-
JusticeCalifornia
June 15, 2011
And the chief justice’s statement about the budget is a joke:
“This budget proposal is devastating and crippling to the judicial branch and to the public it serves. Courts have taken massive reductions over the past few years, and already took $200 million in reductions for next year.
“Courts affect every part of our state’s life — including convicting criminals and freeing the innocent; enhancing public safety; enforcing contracts; providing a forum for resolving business disputes; and protecting children, the elderly, consumers, the environment — in short, protecting the people’s rights.
“With these cuts courts cannot provide these fundamental services or protect the rights of Californians. By marginalizing the courts, California strikes a blow against justice.”
She, her predecessor, the judicial council and the administrative office of the courts have done more to undermine the credibility of the branch than anyone else.
And she personally participated in an action (excusing destruction of child custody evidence while current cases and a state audit were pending) that has endangered children and infringed on the due process rights of parents throughout the state.
The branch, as currently mismanaged at the expense of the public, DESERVES to have a funding cutback. And really, isn’t the mismanagement of the branch what the ACJ and various members of the legislature were trying to remedy via AB 1208? The proposed alternative to AB 1208 has been to give our blackjack dealer/cocktail waitress turned cj/faux feminist and her “committees” a chance. Maybe the powers that be aren’t willing to throw real taxpayer dollars at a losing hand.
All courts and judges out there who are sitting on their hands not participating in effecting change– you cannot complain at the outcomes.
Wendy Darling
June 15, 2011
All that whining from the Chief Justice about how AB 1208 was designed to take away her “power”. As Calderon pointed out to the State Legislature, there was nothing stopping the Chief Justice from acting if she wanted to. All that whining about separation of powers and how she should be given her chance to lead and govern, and then “nothing” is what she continued to do.
So, having failed to lead and goven, the State Legislature has now stepped in and done what should have been done a long time ago – a little bit of fiduciary checks and balances. No more blank checks to the judicial branch, and FYI to the Chief Justice, the Judicial Council, and the AOC from the State Legislature – the days of spending what you don’t have are over.
Long live the ACJ.
mrs kramer
June 15, 2011
SF Whistleblower,
Thank you for the “God bless you” comment. The way I look at it is this: Thousands of men and women have given their lives so that I could have the right to speak truth for the public good in America knowing that the courts would be there to protect me and the Constitution.
Not that the courts would be there to retaliate against me — to cover up what they have already done to try to silence me and discredit me while trompling on the First Amendment. This, while they know their actions have aided a deception to remain in US health policy for over five years that has harmed thousands of people; but financilly benefits the affiliates of the US Chamber of Commerce.
Its black and white to me. I have no intention of being intimidated or bullied into silence of what some very powerful justices in the state of California have done to forsaken their oaths to uphold the Constitution while holding themselves out as the overseers of ethics and accountability of California’s judicial system.
There is no little piece of paper that can change how I feel about this. If men and women are willing to die to defend the Constitution, America and me against foreign enemies; then I guess I can do a little jail time for refusing to be silenced of the deeds of those who threaten the Constitution of the United States from within, should come to that.
Its reassuring to know that there are many like minded, kindred spirits on this board.
SF Whistle
June 16, 2011
The most shocking thing to me is that the staff at the CJP can go to work each day and receive horrible complaints about Judges that are out of control —-How do these people stand in front of a mirror each morning?—-What is the process for de-magnetizing your moral compass?
These same people may think that in doing nothing, their inaction is benign—but in fact they become complicite and caught up in supporting the ongoing acts of some really bad judges.
It is tragic that this agency that was intended to provide accountability and transparancy in our judicial system has been so thoroughly corrupted.
As you well know, SF Presiding Judge Katherine Feinstein was until last June the Chair of the CJP—I suspect her resigination was in part due to her political aspirations—-I do not believe she can escape the stench that accompanied her across the street to ascend to the top job at SF Superior Court replacing James McBribe who had actually been “admonished” by the CJP after police were summoned to his home following him beating his wife—-Feinstein praised McBride (the wifebeater) for all that he had taught her allowing her to be active in SF Court operations as his assistant for the prior two years.
Feinstein may think she will one day occupy her mother’s Senatorial seat—–I believe she will find that all the foul, evil deeds that she worked hard to cover at the CJP and the current runaway system she now “manages” at SF Superior Court will come back to haunt her….
JusticeCalifornia
June 16, 2011
Mrs. Kramer, you are of far greater value to the public roaming free than sitting in jail. Certain members of the branch thrill at the opportunity to selectively and brutally enforce or ignore laws and court orders.
You have clearly been harmed, and no, the branch is not policing itself. But how much more satisfying is it to support the restriction of judicial immunity and to seek a BSA audit of the CJP, than to really be shut down?
Just my opinion.
mrs kramer
June 16, 2011
Maybe. If they send me to jail for refusing to follow a gag order that is based on phoney judgment documents THAT ORIGINATED FROM the court 1.09.09 and was submitted BACK TO THE COURT 11.4.10 as fake proof of a valid judgment to obtain an illicit gag order 5.2.11; there are enough people out there who understand that what this is all about is covering up that certain well connected justices rewarded criminal perjury 12.08 & 9.10 by a US Chamber author in a strategic litigation involving billions of dollars and adverse to public health.
Sending a never impeached old girl scout cookie mom to jail for refusing to shut up of the flat out criminality occuring in our judicial system when the interests of the US Chamber and well connected justices are involved, doesn’t seem too smart. However, short of issuing an order that my tongue should be cut out my and my fingers cut off, there is no remedy for them besides jail that could help to curtail the criminality of the matter from coming to public light. And what that would probably do, is bring it to greater light.
In the big scheme of things, the laws that govern the members of the independent state agency, CJP, need a serious rewrite to assure situations like this do not happen again. Out of adversity comes change.
mrs kramer
June 16, 2011
Between all of us on this board and the corruption within the CA judicial system at its highest levels we collectively have evidenced — I personally think we have enough to demand an FBI investigation and prosecution of key characters. I think we should very publicly lobby Obama, Holder and Brown that this be done.
SF Whistle
June 16, 2011
Mrs Kramer–
In a proper world your thinking regarding an FBI investigation would be absolutely appropriate–
In our imperfect, upside-down world we all need to understand that Governor Brown owes due bills to many, if not all of the corrupt actors in this situation. Brown knows well that former CJ George’s evil empire is being operated in ways that no doubt make him proud—all his cronyistic, loyalist sycophants are intact and doing the jobs expected and demanded of them to maintain all the power he centralized in a branch of government that operates without oversight.
One would truly would wish that politics played no role in the operations of the judicial branch–One would pray that Lady Justice truly is blind—–In fact it is highly unlikely that Eric Holder will launch an investigation of systems that are as corrupt as our branch when Katerine Feinstein’s mother is in the Senate—
Mrs Kramer —-let’s consider for a minute:
Senator Dianne Feinstein is Katherine Feinstein’s mother—-Katherine Feinstein was until June 2010 the chair of the CJP—she now is the Presiding Judge of one of the State’s worst courts–San Francisco…
Is this a problem?—-Not at all—Dianne Feinstein happens to sit on the all powerful Senate Committee on Appropriations—-also sits on the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration—-AND—drumroll—THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY—-
IT’S TIME FOR REFORM—-IT’S TIME TO DEMAND CHANGE—IT’S TIME FOR AN INITIATIVE—
mrs kramer
June 16, 2011
Don’t forget that Dianne Feinstein’s husband sits on the Board of Regents for the University of California. Did you know that the Governor of CA, is always President of the Board of Regents? That is a KEY element in this whole equation of what the judicial branch does with “special cases”.
Also, there is the court of public opinion. If a Holder/FBI investigation was requested with the evidence of which much is already on this board from about 15 different aspects, then there comes a point that it is smarter for decision makers/politicians to acknowledge than ignore.
BTW, know who chairs the US Congressional Judiciary Committee for the Dems?
Here is an article about his wife. She is in jail for being a bribed elected official.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7938249&page=1
SF Whistle
June 16, 2011
It has often been said that we “have the best political system than money can buy”….
Sometimes the purchase goes badly—-?
Judicial Council Watcher
June 16, 2011
Oddly enough, this has become the second most read thread at Judicial Council Watcher.
1. https://judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/breaking-news-bill-vickrey-announces-his-retirement/
2. https://judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/the-huffman-bitch-slap/
3. https://judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/the-aoc-enron-and-stanley-milgram/