Flip flopping or being against something before they were for something is a valued quality pragmatists who may change their position after considering all of the facts and a spineless quality of second rate politicians who change their position based on the prevailing winds.
.
While we would expect to hear the latter from someone climbing their own hill pandering to an elected office, until we landed a chief that believes in many versions of the truth we would have never believed that we would hear it from a chief justice just two years into her term and only when her personal hill turned into the equivalent of the dead vertical climb of the Abruzzi Spur of K2 without the use of ropes or oxygen.
While it is to be expected from a politician, it is not expected or respected when a chief justice does it.
This has not been lost on us who see how amusingly transparent this chief justice is. This has also not been lost on the media covering this story who all discovered from state legislative aides who would only speak on conditions of anonymity that two of the least credible lobbyists in all of Sacramento both work for the AOC and represent the court system and that both of them represent and have the full faith and credit of the Chief Justice. Playing right into that hand were all of the other ‘judicial council lobbyists’ most of whom wear robes, that were towing the JC party line. Most of these people you might recognize because the Judicial Council and the AOC refer to them as judicial branch ‘leadership’. People like AOC apologists and popular comedian Judge Dave Rosenberg who suggest that this chiefs inaction had little to do with the vote to handcuff the JC but it was actually based on a previous chief and a previous council’s inaction.
Dave, get a fucking clue man. It wasn’t a different judicial council or a different chief justice that only mustered one measly vote to oversee the AOC. It was this council and this chief justice that sent a strong, loud message to Sacramento that they weren’t going to take any action on the SEC report. It is called cause and effect and we would urge the legislature to take another 15 million dollar wack at the AOC and the Judicial Council if after the July 27th meeting, they still don’t believe it is in their best interests to oversee the AOC – AND EVERY JUDICIAL COUNCIL MEETING THEREAFTER, TAKE ANOTHER 15 MILLION DOLLAR WACK until they get it.
Sooner or later, the Judicial Council’s own obstinacy would result in the wholesale elimination of the entire AOC because they will never get it.
As for Dave? We never put him in digital purgatory because he amuses us with his lack of credibility and his out for himself nametag on his shirt so look for another horse whose credibility hasn’t been shot to shit being trotted out. We might have seen that new pony trotted out already though in the laughable suggestion that misdemeanor trials ought not have juries. Hell, let’s just do away with ones right to an attorney too just like infractions.
What continues to amaze and shock us is that the legislature continues to let the AOC build without any rules, regulations or oversight some of the worlds most expensive public buildings while courts shut down and court employees across the state are laid off. Worse, no one has identified where the money will come from to run these new structures. That becomes especially concerning in cities like Mammoth Lakes where the brand new courthouse costs 500% more to maintain and operate than the old courthouse, or Stockton, a city that just filed for bankruptcy and has ample downtown space that could be converted to a courthouse for a small fraction of the quarter billion dollar projected cost of the new courthouse – six times more expensive than any structure in the city – or the substantial extra costs of maintaining that structure in a court that has been historically under-funded and in a city that is bankrupt.
Mark our words, when that courthouse is completed, all other courthouses in San Joaquin County will cease to exist because of financial pressure to close them. As the SEC report pointed out the AOC has not financially planned for how to operate than new buildings which cost substantially more to operate than the old ones. Perhaps the legislature will be addressing this in a second round of looking at the AOC’s wasteful operations that are shutting down the trial courts.
Related articles
- Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye : These handcuffs are great! (Cheryl Miller – legalpad.typepad.com) (Glad she thinks so. Let’s shoot for fully shackled and see if she gets off on that too.)
- Legislative action now needed – Contact your legislators (judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com)
- Judicial Council Slow-Tracks AOC Reforms (judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com)
unionman575
July 1, 2012
Nice work JCW!
https://recalltani.wordpress.com/
Res Ipsa Loquitor
July 1, 2012
“This has also not been lost on the media covering this story who all discovered from state legislative aides who would only speak on conditions of anonymity that two of the least credible lobbyists in all of Sacramento both work for the AOC and represent the court system and that both of them represent and have the full faith and credit of the Chief Justice.”
I have often wondered if this underscores the reason Kate Howard quit as Director of OGA.
unionman575
July 1, 2012
It does Res.
Ah memories of Kate…
unionman575
July 1, 2012
JusticeCalifornia
July 1, 2012
“until we landed a chief that believes in many versions of the truth we would have never believed that we would hear it from a chief justice just two years into her term and only when her personal hill turned into the equivalent of the dead vertical climb of the Abruzzi Spur of K2 without the use of ropes or oxygen.”
JCW, LOL!
But honestly, her oxygen supply has been cut off for a while.
Her dismissal of the BSA CCMS audit did her in.
Her defense of Vickrey did her in.
Appointing and taking advice from ethically compromised Team George baddies and architects did her in.
Her 20-minute foot stomping rant against the legislature did her in.
Her faux-feminist (I mean really – don’t you think when she was a blackjack dealer and a cocktail waitress she used her “charms” to get good tips?) rant against Calderon for calling her “pretty and nice” did her in. (And I am a female professional so I get to say that).
Her post Calderon rant/ little-girl-hiding-behind-Steinberg block of AB 1208 did her in.
Her repeated, disingenuous sidewinder word games so Team George can continue down the Team George path did her in.
Knowingly throwing her support base under the bus did her in.
Speaking out of both sides of her mouth did her in.
Saying one thing and doing another did her in.
Her failure to understand that Ron George left in utter disgrace, with the branch in shambles, is doing her in.
Her last JC meeting – an AOC lovefest that left the SEC in long-term parking –did her in.
Pretending to like legislative handcuffs – after sending her minions to fight like hell to keep them off– did her in.
And has anyone noticed?
NO ONE HAS COME TO HER DEFENSE.
Wendy Darling
July 1, 2012
Very well said, Justice California. And all so very, very, very true.
And all very disgraceful and disturbing. How can anyone call this “leadership”?
FYI to the Office of the Chief Justice: there is an enormous difference between following a leader who inspires, who has integrity, and who sets an example worth following, and obeying a leader out of fear.
In case anyone is confused, the current Chief Justice falls squarely withing the latter, and is not even in the ballpark of the former.
Long live the ACJ.
courtflea
July 1, 2012
Yes, I believe Kate left because of the crap going on and the same with Ray LeBov, even though he was physically ill as well.
JC, the suck ups on the council and other justices and judges will support her. Give them time. In spite of having to lay off their own staff these people are like rats on a sinking ship. It is all about them and their own political goals.
Res Ipsa Loquitor
July 1, 2012
Kate was a person I always thought of as an AOC “lifer.” I remember when she came to the AOC from Berkeley, and later met and married a co-worker, Later BV sent her to OGA, where she continued her rise. She is one smart lady and I know she had a lot of “cred” in the Legislature (unlike others whom we shall not name). And I suppose that says it all.
JusticeCalifornia
July 1, 2012
And say hey JCW, I think we need a new category for digital purgatory, and that would be Team George/CJ/JC/AOC sycophant LAWYERS who are throwing the branch and the public under the bus. These people are the seedlings for Team George offshoots.
I do believe that lawyers–who-want-a-viable-future Dunn and Steinberg and Feuer have begun to understand which way the wind is blowing, and have begun—out of self-interest—to act accordingly. But check the attendance records– historically JC lawyer/legislative representatives do NOT attend JC meetings, and simply rubber stamp CJ/JC/AOC actions. Some, like Noreen Evans, are just downright embarrassing in sucking up to top leadership (yeah I voted in favor of that but found out Sakauye is against it so never mind, I change my vote) and some JC lawyer/members like Matthai and Krinski, et al are actively advocating for positions that THEY MUST KNOW are taking the branch and the public down the highway to hell.
So let’s end the incentive for lawyers to kiss up to top leadership, while throwing the branch and the public under the bus.
I nominate Miriam Krinski for digital purgatory, for her stupid-ass comment that leadership of the branch begins and ends with the Judicial Council.
I also nominate Edith Matthai, for her self-serving support of CCMS notwithstanding the overwhelming evidence of the mismanagement and waste involved therewith, and her support of placing the simplest and most straightforward of SEC recommendations into long term parking.
Seconds, please? Or a convincing dialogue against my nominations?
unionman575
July 1, 2012
I second Miriam & Edith!
Judicial Council Watcher
July 1, 2012
Krinski & Matthai have been in digital purgatory for nearly a year because they voted to fund CCMS before they voted to shut it down (but still fund it.)… so I suppose that’s a second and a third. Patience – we’re catching up on email. 🙂
unionman575
July 1, 2012
Patience is a virtue…
And..so is our persistence…
🙂
Judicial Council Watcher
July 3, 2012
For those of you who don’t follow our twitter feed (it can be found in the navigation pane to the left) the beautiful city of Mammoth Lakes, home of a shiny new courthouse mentioned in the above article, will file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
unionman575
July 3, 2012
The City of Stockton is doing the BK thing too.
We all know the struggles San Joaquin Superior Court has had recenlty, along with ALL trial courts across CA.
The Death Star construction program needs some extra heavy duty legislative oversight, and a Federal investigation into all kinds of funky contracting deals and all kinds of other AOC BULLSHIT.
unionman575
July 3, 2012
San Joaquin Superior is getting these 2 construction projects from the AOC OCCM:
http://www.courts.ca.gov/facilities-sanjoaquin-jv.htm
http://www.courts.ca.gov/facilities-sanjoaquin-stockton.htm
unionman575
July 3, 2012
The Eagle has landed…new filing fees are being posted statewide court by court on the JC website…here is another notice: