Good day California. It is day 32 leading up to courtmageddon. Courtmageddon is the loss of hundreds of court jobs and the dismantling of California’s civil justice system at the hands of the Judicial Council and the AOC. Last week our chief justice met with Northern California bar leaders and apparently came up with nothing as a moving forward resolution. We’re going to guess that the Northern California bar is a little closer to Judicial Council and AOC’s actions than the SoCal bar so an education is in order for those SoCal lawyers. Go forth ye hoards of concerned citizens and educate them.
One of the craziest ideas we heard floated was filing suit to protect judicial branch funding. Of course, our reply would be similar to that of the legislature: Protect court funding from whom? An underlying premise of the American justice system is that one should make a reasonable effort to mitigate their damages. With this in mind we have to ask a logical question: When the judicial council was presented with an option to divert more construction funds to support the trial courts, did the judicial council make even a reasonable effort to mitigate damages to the trial courts? If the JC did anything with respect to the damages caused by alleged unsustainable under funding, it was to enhance those damages by not diverting more construction funds to trial court operations when they had the opportunity. So when we hear the possibility of litigation, we have to believe that the litigation in question would be against those who failed to act to mitigate their damages and those who underfunded trial courts.
That wasn’t the legislature boys and girls.
Three parties have now suggested that a in-person strategy meeting regarding requesting a fully audited accounting of the monies spent by the AOC be scheduled for this Thursday, next Wednesday 8/24 in Oakland, California somewhere off of Broadway. BART runs under Broadway in downtown Oakland. We’re a little challenged by the short notice that we received yesterday but if there is interest, we will endeavor to find that location space and call that meeting. Given the legislature is in session for only 4 more weeks, we agree that sooner is better than later. Please RSVP by email( judicialcouncilwatcher@hushmail.com ) if you can make a Thursday, 8/18/2011 Wednesday 8/24 meeting @ 7:30 PM-9:30 PM. If the meeting needs more notice, please chime in and suggest another date and time. We will need the RSVP for space planning and to send out invites.
Judicial Council Watcher is announcing the launch of a pilot of Watcher Radio – a series of streaming internet (possibly call-in if you prefer) talk shows discussing the challenges facing California’s judicial branch today. Our angel donors and producers paying for Watcher Radio intend on producing and broadcasting up to 7 shows each week in the 8PM to 10PM time slot, with archives of the radio show being available on line at any time.
While Judicial Council Watcher will take the Wednesday and Sunday night time slots, all other time slots will be made available to cover other judicial branch issues by other parties. If you’ve ever aspired to have your own weekly talk show on internet radio and you believe that you can make the pilot commitment and come up with 16 weeks of your own programming, we want to hear from you. We’re most interested in groups reserving a day of the week for their own talk show programming. We intend to launch on Monday, September 5th with your radio show. Our radio show will first be heard on September 7th, 2011.
Examples for other ideas for other radio shows are:
From the Bench – a weekly radio show of x judges group heard on Monday
Family Law Matters – a weekly radio show of family court advocates heard on Tuesday
AOC Watcher – a show produced by friends of AOC Watcher heard on Thursday
Spare Me the AOC – a show produced by court workers on Friday
Access to Justice – a show produced by a not for profit or law firm heard on Saturday
The above are just examples of the kind of material we wish to cover and we’re open to other ideas. We’ll even give pravda a platform if they cover their own production costs. If we only broadcast Watcher Radio on Wednesday and Sunday without involving other groups, we will have achieved our objective. Our angel donors and producers are looking to eventually share actual production costs with others (like those who operate their own radio shows) after the 16 week pilot. We anticipate this to be a minimal cost.
If you are interested in participating in Watcher Radio, please drop us an email at judicialcouncilwatcher@hushmail.com
Judicial Council Watcher 
Roberta
August 15, 2011
Excellent idea, JCW! Please let us know the URL to the internet radio show and provide instruction on to participate anonymously.
Judicial Council Watcher
August 15, 2011
The suggested date and time has been adjusted to next week, 10 days away. If you can make it, please RSVP by this Wednesday.
just fed up
August 15, 2011
Just read an article that says that the union representing Bart employees are demanding an investigation into mismanagement, the shut down of wireless access, safety of employees, etc.
There are way more union represented court employees in this state, than there are Bart employees!
Why isn’t SEIU demanding anything, something on behalf of their members?
As it stands right now, SEIU is useless as tits on a bull.
SEIU, do something for your members. Fight for your members in this state to keep their jobs!
lando
August 16, 2011
Awesome idea to have a meeting. I think I suggested that awhile ago as it is the best means to organize a movement to amend the state constitution so we can democratize the Judicial Council and end the anti-democratic insular system created by CJ George J Huffman and the new CJ who is a huge disappointment on many levels. Plus I would be honored to meet Wendy Darling and everyone else here that cares about the trial courts and the service they provide to the public !
MrsKramer
August 16, 2011
Great ideas of a radio show & in-person meeting. “Three parties have now suggested.. requesting a fully audited accounting of the monies…”
There are more than 3. Set up this petition last week. Have just sent it to a few people who understand the mismanagement of the judicial branch is harming us all. Not going to send to JLAC until I have 500 signers. (Gets edited into professional letter format with all signers able to view/comment before sent) Added benefit to this format is that one compiles an email list of those who are interested and may be willing to work toward change – without their names going on the Net. Upon receiving Signers’ Permission, I could share the (still in progress) email list with you for your upcoming endeavors, if you would like.
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?AOCJC
“To: Honorable Governor Brown, State Auditor Howle, and members of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee,
We, the Undersigned, are urging you, Governor Brown and Joint Legislative Audit Committee members, to work with you, State Auditor Howle, on a comprehensive audit of the Administration of the Courts (AOC) and the Judicial Council (JC). This audit is needed because of conflicted interests and misappropriation of tax dollars that are meant to run California’s judicial branch.
Many California courts are closing their doors because of lack of funding. Contributing greatly to the problem, on July 22, 2011, the JC chose to allocate an excessive amount of the judicial branch budget to the AOC. The AOC’s sole function is to serve as support for the court – not to compete with them for needed funds.
AOC staff wrote the budget proposal that the JC allocations relied upon. We believe it is a CONFLICT OF INTEREST that AOC staff wrote the recommendations for allocation of funding, providing themselves ample while the trial courts are forced to close and lay off employees. When support staff put their interest over that of the courts they are to serve, they are no longer a benefit the courts or to the public. They are only a benefit to themselves….
..The California State Auditor is the only state entity that is given full access to all records of state agencies. General powers of the California State Auditor include the ability to subpoena records, take depositions, and administer oaths. It is the resource to the Legislature for oversight and accountability by its ability to conduct independent, nonpartisan audits.
Investigations by the California State Auditor’s Office originate from:
¡Requests approved by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
¡Designation of a program or agency as high-risk for waste, fraud, mismanagement, or that have major challenges that relate to efficiency or effectiveness
¡Allegations of improper conduct by state employees
Given that:
1. The amount of tax dollars allocated to run the judicial branch is in the neighborhood of $4 billion annually; and
2. The AOC has a BSA evidenced recent history of mismanagement of funds; and
3. There are hundreds of millions of dollars unaccounted for by the AOC hiring and overpaying unlicensed contractors with no explanation; and
4. State pension funds have been allocated by AOC to non- state employees; and
5. AOC has several allegations against them for retaliating against whistle blowing employees; and
6. Trial courts are being forced to close when $82 million that went to the AOC could have been allocated to the courts by the JC, while causing the delaying and denying of justice for Californians; and
7. AOC wrote the proposals upon which the JC relied to allocate a disproportion amount of tax dollars to the AOC for future funding;
We, the Undersigned, urge Governor Brown and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to promptly order a Bureau of State Audit comprehensive audit of the Administration of the Courts and the Judicial Council. This audit is for CONFLICTS OF INTEREST aiding the misappropriation of judicial branch tax dollars in a manner that is adverse to the public’s best interest.
http://www.petitiononline.com/AOCJC/petition-sign.html
Pseudonyms are discouraged. One has to confirm their electronic signature before it registers. Letter does not go w/less than 500 signers. Email addresses are available to letter recepients upon request should they wish to verify signers. Email addresses are not shared with others unless given consent otherwise.
JusticeCalifornia
August 16, 2011
Great ideas JCW. . . .Watcher Radio 7 days a week. . . .woo hoo.
SF Whistle
August 16, 2011
This all sounds great—-developing a functioning organization beyond this board is the AOC / JC worst nightmare—
MrsKramer
August 16, 2011
SEIU endorsed CA legislators, currently in office and serving in the following capacities/relevant committees:
SENATE PRES PRO TEM
Darrell Steinberg (Senate District 6)
ASSEMBLY CHAIR
Charles Calderon (Assembly District 58)
SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Senator Noreen Evans (Chair)
Senator Ellen Corbett
ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Mike Feuer (Assembly District 42)
Jared Huffman (Assembly District 6)
Roger Dickenson (Assembly District 9)
Alyson Huber (Assembly District 10)
Bob Wieckowski (Assembly District 20)
Bill Monning (Assembly District 27)
JOINT LEGISLATIVE AUDIT COMMITTEE
Senator Kevin de León
Senator Michael Rubio
Assemblymember Luis Alejo
Assemblymember Alyson Huber
Assemblymember William Monning
Judicial Council Watcher
August 17, 2011
This is a reminder for you to RSVP for a meeting next Wednesday night so that we can plan space. As of now, we only have a small number of replies which makes space planning easier and would potentially give us a longer agenda to tackle the second objective on our list – democratization of the Judicial Council. If you wish to be a part of change, we want to hear from you today if possible. Please email judicialcouncilwatcher@hushmail.com to RSVP to this event.