You just don’t know if it was the press release or journalistic liberties and it usually isn’t worth the energy to clarify it – especially when it causes a hearty laugh.
This morning, JCW was a recipient of an article that was titled “Yolo Judge to bring order to State Courts“.
Without reading any further, we couldn’t help but bust out laughing. I guess it’s the perspective. Again, without reading on images were conjured on how this was to be achieved. “Miracles DO happen” “Did Judge Fall go on the offensive?” “Yeah, Right, I’ll believe it when I see it” “Someone is finally tackling the AOC problem?” were all a collection of verbal responses to the title read aloud to others. Everyone laughed first.
The article goes on to explain how Judge David Rosenberg has been appointed to a committee and how he had previously developed a set of common sense rules of parlamentary procedure called Rosenberg’s Rules of Order. Now he was being tasked to a committee that will likely dissect these common sense rules adopted by many public entities and bastardize them into a judicial branch version that still requires your comments be submitted ten days in advance for approval by the Executive and Planning Committee and still requires a public comment session before the JC meeting starts. After all we can’t be having anyone state the obvious in the rarified air of judicial council meetings.
Yolo Superior Court announced Tuesday that Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye
appointed Presiding Judge David Rosenberg to a new working group to develop
rules of parliamentary procedure for Judicial Council meetings.
Justice Harry Hull will chair the working group which reports to the Judicial
Council’s Rules and Projects Committee
Skip the freaking useless committees and adopt the procedures already as they stand for all judicial council meetings and committee meetings.
Here is a link to Rosenberg’s Rules of Order
What do you think?
Judicial Council Watcher 
Antonatrail
August 11, 2011
If this is the teensy CJ’s response to the dissatisfaction over that horror of a JC meeting on the 22nd of June, no wonder there is wild laughter. So she is going for style over substance yet again. At first I thought this was so totally bizarre. Stepping back and trying to think like these utter bozos though, it makes sense in their current dilemma. And the beat goes on.
Wendy Darling
August 11, 2011
Because what is obviously most needed in this dire hour is . . . yet another committee.
Long live the ACJ.
concerned
August 11, 2011
What is it with the new CJ? She KNOWS exactly what the problem is and what is needed to correct the problem. Yet, all she is doing is forming one committee or another.
Why in the heck was she even nominated and appointed CJ? She can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
Is the any way the Gov.Brown can boot her and appointed someone else? Can she be recalled?
One thing that hasn’t gone unnoticed, during all of the this, there hasn’t been one word from Gov.Brown. if this isn’t true, please post any links known where he addresses the dire crisis facing the trial courts.
Also, could it be that court employees through out this state are being used a chips in a poker game? Anyone with sense knows that if one court folds(SF) many others will follow. That is a scenario NO ONE in either of the three branches of govt in this state wants to happen. Isn’t CA the 7th or 8th largest economy in the world? Can they afford to let the trial courts fall/fold/fail?
antonatrail
August 11, 2011
The teensy cutesy-poo CJ was selected because it was believed she would maintain the ghastly status quo within the AOC/JC. And she has done a masterful job so far. She’s an insider. She is not intelligent, but she is crafty. For the sake of all CA taxpayers and litigants, court employees — well, everyone — she needs to be relieved of her duties forthwith. How the average CA taxpayer/citizen will become aware of these calamities within the courts — and then care about it — is quite the problem. I’m almost afraid of Gov. Brown taking action. What would he do? I remember the 70s, Linda Ronstadt and moonbeams. I wish the FBI would take this debacle seriously.
concerned
August 11, 2011
Who and why is someone always on this site giving comments the thumbs down? Just curious?
Judicial Council Watcher
August 11, 2011
You can thank Pravda – The AOC’s own Office of Communications that doesn’t really read this blog, though two thousand plus others do – daily.
Wendy Darling
August 11, 2011
Published today, Thursday, August 11, from The Sacramento Bee, by Torey Van Oot:
California judges immune from even voluntary pay cuts this year
By Torey Van Oot
http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/11/3830458/california-judges-immune-from.html
Long live the ACJ.
Delilah
August 11, 2011
>>Who and why is someone always on this site giving comments the thumbs down?<<
Did you happen to read the comments to the Matier & Ross article about "judicial college"? The same tools that posted a multitude of comments extolling the virtues of the AOC and all their programs and good deeds, whining that this was a slanted article about a non-story, and thumbs-downing any other commenter who criticized the AOC or objected to such a ridiculous use of taxpayer money, especially in these economic times. The same people that also have the chutzpah of Bill Vickrey's quoted comments. Tools.
But, hey, guess you can say anything when you're gonna be walking into the sunset with your top co-conspirator(s), cool pensions in hand, and dropping the hot potato into the laps of your eager lackeys ready to step into your shoes, all while leaving the local trial courts in tatters behind you. Life is good for ambitious public servants at the top of the food chain.
JusticeCalifornia
August 11, 2011
until they have to answer to the feds. . . .I don’t think great promised benefits count much in jail.
Go ahead y’all, and continue covering for and promoting bad (illegal/unethical) branch behavior. And wonder if your every move is being watched and recorded. 🙂
Michael Paul
August 11, 2011
I saw those remarks and commented on them. Having a company that’s pretty much tracked all news over the past two years I can assure you that the response to the matier and ross article was uncommon and unusually supportive of the AOC with a bunch of recently created accounts promoting the AOC’s agenda.
It has the office of communications written all over it. Tools indeed.
sharonkramer
August 11, 2011
Internet PR Trolls. They have been caught a couple of times on Katy’s Exposure. When FEMA was auctioning off the formaldehyde/moldy Katrina trailers, someone posted a glowing comment of how happy they were with their new trailer that they bought a such a great price. The IP address was from the Henderson, LA, FEMA auction house.
Michael Paul
August 11, 2011
Forming another committee: Pissing on a forest fire comes to mind.
The Rosenberg Rules: The basic format for agenda item discussion contained in the rosenberg rules and the recommended public comment mechanism is credible. I want to speak before these people vote, not five hours before they vote. That would be an improvement on public input available to judicial branch employees, judges and the public alike. Democratization of that council should be the foundation for any moving forward governance. Out with the old, in with democracy.
Wendy Darling
August 11, 2011
More politics? Published today, Thursday, August 11, from The Recorder, the on-line publication of CalLaw, by Kate Moser:
Supreme Court Stays Dismantling of Redevelopment Agencies
Kate Moser
Long live the ACJ.
sharonkramer
August 11, 2011
LA Times on Redevelopment matter:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2011/08/california-supreme-court-redevelopment.html
“The court issued an order delaying enforcement of most provisions of the new law until a ruling on the merits of the case, but said redevelopment agencies could not incur new debt, transfer assets, buy property or enter into new contracts in the meantime.
The lawsuit by redevelopment agencies and cities claims the state violated a voter-approved ballot measure when it acted to dissolve agencies unless they pay $1.7 billion to cover state financial obligations.”
sharonkramer
August 11, 2011
Proposal to ease Ca court camera rules dropped.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/10/BATD1KLSEE.DTL
JusticeCalifornia
August 11, 2011
And so the Supreme Court (led by now-severely-compromised minimimi) and the redevelopment agencies who have played footsie with the CJ/AOC/JC and significant others re land acquisition and court construction better be prepared for appropriate conflict of interest investigations. Oh the tangled webs they weave. . .
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_18663665
sharonkramer
August 11, 2011
Tangled web indeed! How much RDA money went to acquiring that Redding blight (aka historic property in pristine condition) by eminent domaine for the new court house? Maybe if the CJ understood the meaning of the word “blight” it would help correct alot of her errors. blight – any cause of impairment, destruction, ruin, or frustration
courtflea
August 11, 2011
I am sorry but please leave it to an egotistical asshole to think they can redo Roberts Rules. Ok maybe he is a great guy, but please, why the change? But then again, when did the JC employ Roberts Rules? Ok this has gone way beyond insane. Has Zod invaded the earth? The JC does not need new meeting rules, they need a democratized Council.
JusticeCalifornia
August 11, 2011
I agree on all points.
courtflea
August 11, 2011
no matter how anyone feels about judge’s salaries, what cracked me up about the SACTO BEE article is that at the last JC meeting the subject of voluntary pay cuts for judges was brought up but not discussed because the legislature had not passed whatever it takes to allow the judges to take this voluntary pay cut…..
sharonkramer
August 12, 2011
All of this tangle web comes down to one thing: Its vastly important that the trial courts be able to control their own purse strings to assure freedom of judicial speech, honesty and autonomy in the courts. This Speak with One Voice (and Forked Tongue) has got to go!!
Wendy Darling
August 12, 2011
Published today, Friday, August 12, from Courthouse News Service, by Maria Dinzeo:
SF Superior Spares 25 From Massive Layoff
By MARIA DINZEO
http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/08/12/38956.htm
Long live the ACJ.
Nathaniel Woodhull
August 12, 2011
HRH Tiny-Whinee Cantil-Sakauye just announced the formation of a new committee to study very important Judicial Council/AOC operations. The committee will be chaired by Justice Huffman, since he has available time now that he has decided to step down from an equally important committee.
A bevy of perennial JC/AOC sycophants will round out the committee membership. Word has it that the group will be put up at the Fairmont in San Francisco while studying the issues. It is anticipated that the preliminary report will be completed and presented to the Judicial Council at their meeting in October 2011. The Judicial Council will then decide if they can approve the preliminary recommendations or if further investigation is necessary
This committee will be focusing of the number of toilet paper ply to be used by the Judicial Council and AOC and whether the paper should be installed so that it dispenses from the top or bottom of the roll. Word has it that there is a hot debate by insiders who favor 3-ply versus the 2-ply used in most of private industry. The estimated cost for this important survey was initially estimated at $210,000.00 (a bargain at today’s prices!)
William Vickrey has agreed to stay on, working on a perdium basis ($5,000.00 per day) to assist in testing during this committee process. We all hope that everything comes out alright and that the taxpayers of California understand and appreciate the dedication of all those involved in this study…
antonatrail
August 13, 2011
“What is a committee? A group of the unwilling, PICKED FROM THE UNFIT, to do the unnecessary” – emphasis added.
— Mark Twain
Delilah
August 12, 2011
LOL, N.W. They should be able to wrap this study up pretty quickly, though, considering the amount of knee-deep bullshit generated on a daily basis over there. Then the next committee can study whether it is more efficient to wad or fold depending on the number of plies before flushing it all down the toilet along with all the rest of the wasted taxpayer money.
JusticeCalifornia
August 12, 2011
LOL both of you.
Knee deep bullshit generated daily, coupled with the neck deep crap already generated, makes the toilet paper issue a pretty serious one. I daresay HRH tiny whiney (increasingly ethically compromised) Mrs. Sakauye is in deep shit, way over her head, and understandably wants the best (historically recycled) toilet paper available to help get her out. I guess she doesn’t realize that she is turn-tail-and-ran-rg’s biggest and most damaging joke on the branch yet. In fact, I bet she is wondering right now why she wasn’t invited to the Fairmont shindig.
Wendy Darling
August 12, 2011
Published late today, Friday, August 12, from The Recorder, the on-line publication of CalLaw, by Cheryl Miller:
Capital Accounts: For Court Budget Woes, Lots of Ideas, Little Action
Cheryl Miller
http://www.law.com/jsp/ca/PubArticleCA.jsp?id=1202511104179&Capital_Accounts_For_Court_Budget_Woes_Lots_of_Ideas_Little_Action
Long live the ACJ.
sharonkramer
August 13, 2011
“Most folks were focused on what would be statewide solutions that would benefit all the courts,’ said Curtis Child, the Judicial Council’s chief lobbyist.”
Why does the Judicial Council have lobbyists? Since when does one branch of government lobby the other two?
I don’t see Mr. Child listed as a working registered lobbyist for 2011
http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Lobbying/Lobbyists/list.aspx?letter=C&session=2011
Is this the same Mr. Curtis Child?
http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Lobbying/Lobbyists/Detail.aspx?id=1149295
If so, he has an active number – but nothing comes up:
http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Misc/filerSearch.aspx?SEARCH=L24929
Click to access 18611.pdf
Michael Paul
August 13, 2011
Mr. Child now accepts a government paycheck for his lobbying efforts as he is the director for the AOC’s Office of Governmental Affairs. He’s a different kind of lobbyist now.
Nice quote antonatrail. I would add that only people who lack leadership skills, such as the skills that come with running a business or managing people rely on making decisions via a committee. Leaders don’t rely on committees.
unionman575
August 12, 2011
What a waste of time! We are all starving for operating cash and they are wasting time on this b.s.?
lando
August 12, 2011
General Woodhull nailed it. How many overlapping committees has this CJ created? Five alone study CCMS. One called the SEC is evaluating the AOC and J Huffman having never left is overseeing the budget not to mention this latest fiasco involving JC rules. One also has to ask how much is the California taxpayer paying for all these committees to study CCMS over and over,the AOC and now the rules that govern public meetings lol. It does not end there of course since AOC staff or in the case of the SEC Committee the National Center on State Courts all need to be paid valuable California taxpayer dollars to support the work of all these intertwined committees. The really sad part is that we know the result. Per J Bruiners CCMS will be deployed all over the state in two weeks (not ) and the SEC Committee will inevitably conclude that the AOC provides an invaluable mechanism to insure “access to the courts. ” None of the hard questions raised over the last three years will ever be addressed. For example,why are there over 100 employees of the AOC working in the judicial education division and over 60 working in the office of General Counsel? Why are there “Regional Managers” who have no authority to manage the trial courts? Why are these individuals paid over 200,000 a year to do what exactly? Why are their “Scholars in Residence” ? Why is Clark Kelso being paid by the AOC? The bottom line is that the JC and AOC have created a bureaucracy that serves itself not the trial courts or the public. The only committee we really need is a grassroots one that will advocate for a constitutional amendment to end this abuse of taxpayer funds. We need to democratize the Judicial Council and take back what should have never been taken from the local trial courts and the people they serve
Nathaniel Woodhull
August 12, 2011
Ditto! Sad part is, while many of us have been beating this drum since about 1999-2000, there seems to be little interest (until lately) by our colleagues on the bench and those funding these despots in Sacramento.
unionman575
August 13, 2011
We are going to need the 3 ply General. Lots of wiping will be required because they are full of it.
MrsKramer
August 13, 2011
He has an active, registered lobbyist number, L24929
http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Misc/filerSearch.aspx?SEARCH=L24929
Yet, he is not listed in the roster of active, registered lobbyists.
http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Lobbying/Lobbyists/list.aspx?letter=C&session=2011
In past years, even if no income was generated, he was still required to fill out the tax forms.
http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/Lobbying/Lobbyists/Detail.aspx?id=1149295&view=activity
Since when does a state agency whose sole function is to support by shuffling paper work, need or be able to employee a loyybist? Do other state agencies employee lobbyists?
Not saying there is anything deceptive in this. Just trying to understand how this works.
JusticeCalifornia
August 13, 2011
Speaking of grassroots efforts.
Our tone deaf gambling-barmaid-turned cj is still re-assigning 80-plus year old “retired” Judge Jack Halpin every 30 days to the “temporary” Shasta County assignment he has held for the last 18 years. In fact, according to data from the AOC, as of May this may be Jack’s biggest grossing year yet as an assigned judge. The more complaints filed about him by Shasta parents, the more hated he becomes, the more the Shasta public demands the right to have their judges elected, not appointed and overseen by a gambling barmaid, the more he gets paid, and the more the barmaid is digging in her heels and telling people it is fiscally responsible to keep Jack right where he is- presiding judge of the Shasta County Family Court.
Nice job, Shasta County parents and citizens, for your protest yesterday. And nice job, Shasta media, for covering it.
Jack Halpin and the cj/AOC are in the process of spoiling the assigned judges gig for all assigned judges, good, bad and in between. Top leadership is telling an entire county that those who want to elect their own judges (as provided by our State Constitution) can go pound sand down a rathole (a nice way of say “go f$$$ yourselves”).
JusticeCalifornia
August 13, 2011
hey jcw can you move my above post to the Pennsylvania judge Kids for Cash thread? I have more to say but that is a better thread for it. Thanks 🙂
Judicial Council Watcher
August 13, 2011
This platform does not permit posts to be moved, though it can be copied over. In light of the thread just made, that might be the best place for it?
MrsKramer
August 13, 2011
What’s incredible about the Shasta county situation is that people are PROTESTING, they are providing EVIDENCE, televised news is COVERING THE STORY; and yet it continues with out a word said to defend it. “It is because we say it is” is the rule of the day. Who in Hell do these people think they are and why are the other two branches of government stepping in to stop this?
courtflea
August 13, 2011
NW right on. I am getting tired. We have been going on for so long. BUT this crap runs thru my veins and I can’t stop caring about the branch. I guess I will die young giving a shit.
antonatrail
August 14, 2011
You’re right, Courtflea, this has been ongoing for awhile and it’s tiresome, but we can’t let the bastards prevail because they’re tenacious. They’re simply greedy for power and money, and they couldn’t care less about the judiciary branch. We’ll both die giving a shit too, but I’m old already.
Long live the ACJ.
Mrs. Kramer
August 14, 2011
8.12.11 Trial Insider http://www.trialinsider.com/?p=633
“We need to find long-term solutions and we invite your best thinking,” she [CJ] told the group. “It’s not something we should approach in a piecemeal fashion.”
The group did not propose specific solutions in this first session, but the chief justice did set up a working group to begin exploring solutions.
Judicial Council Watcher
August 16, 2011
The Chief Justice and the executive and planning committee seemed to have adopted many of the public comment provisions of the Rosenberg rules of order.
Wouldn’t the judicial branch be a wonderful place if all concerns were addressed with this degree of responsiveness to criticism?
We wouldn’t really have any reason to exist which is fine by us…..
Kudo’s to the Chief for making a change. It was a little one, please make some larger ones.
sharonkramer
August 16, 2011
Transparency is no small change. Its can be the catalyst that causes bigger change. I am cautiously optomistic.