English: Then- giving a speech in 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In another thread MaxRebo presents a suitable cause\effect analysis of the politically astute Cantil-Sakauye‘s (HRH-2) offensive renaming of the Star Chamber conference center as the William C Vickrey conference center. I’ll add to that mix the offensive renaming of the Ronald M. George state office complex. Besides the fact that these characters are still above ground and breathing, in light of all that has been revealed and that which has yet to be revealed, I’m going to submit a hypothesis for your consideration.
When the fat lady finally gets up and sings, I feel strongly that Mr. Vickrey and Mr. George will be found and in some cases have been found with unclean hands with respect to the many debacles that our judicial branch currently faces. The architects of the many current debacles, no matter how you slice it was these two gentlemen. Both of them took their pensions and ran from office and the current judicial branch implosion that they helped create. Overholt joined that cadre of those exiting stage left shortly after Unionman pointed out the house on the Danville hill that was under a virtually perpetual state of remodel according to numerous AOC employee accounts, yet no permits could be found online on the Contra Costa County website relating to any of that remodeling. According to an intern that was working with us at the time, one day they were available online and we didn’t get them and the next day they vanished. We meant to pay the building department a visit and conduct some neighborhood interviews about this extensive remodeling. By the way, recently that investigation was fully funded so you should be seeing those results shortly.
In naming these facilities after these two gentlemen, “Team George” sought to provide ample political cover to their ungraceful exits pretty much before the poo hit the fan thereby soiling the rest of us, vastly contributing to that cause\effect relationship outlined by MaxRebo. Furthermore, the AOC and the Judicial Council adopted a naming standard for courthouses at a time where there was much discussion at the AOC about naming courthouses after the living at a time when several similar scandals were breaking around the country regarding naming facilities after the living only to rename the facilities some time after the scandals broke. It was decided (link) that naming facilities after the living would be ‘very rarely used’ with some strict criteria as the link shows. Among those criteria is this little tidbit:
iii. The person does not have any case pending before a California
trial or appellate court or a federal court and is not reasonably
likely to come before those courts in future litigation;
While this primarily pertains to courthouse naming conventions, it should also apply equally towards other facilities like conference centers and state office complexes. When Team George made the decision to name these facilities after these people, they did so cognizantly aware of the above precondition. Naming these facilities after these characters amounts to a declaration of innocence that many in Team George circles can rally around. They can point towards this paragraph and indicate that they fully weighed all possible considerations and named the facilities after these two anyways, indirectly shunting criticism about the decision while the rest of us looked on in utter bewilderment and were calling for federal investigations.
Team George named these facilities not to honor these characters. Team George named these facilities after these characters to artificially inflate the odds of “not reasonably likely” while most of the rest of the branch was strenuously objecting.
Related articles
- As Transparent As An Iron Curtain (judicialcouncilwatcher.com)
- Beth Jay, Principal Attorney to 3 Chief Justices, to Retire (legalpad.typepad.com)
- Cantil-Sakauye: These Handcuffs Are Great! (legalpad.typepad.com)
- Chief Justice Won’t Wrestle, Er, Meet Calderon on AB 1208 (legalpad.typepad.com)
unionman575
June 22, 2013
Nice work JCW.
I still remember that house on the Danville Hill…
😉
courtflea
June 22, 2013
I am sure Cole Day Rain is looking forward to the results of that investigation lol. I know I am!
Alan Ernesto Phillips
June 22, 2013
Lately, even EXODUS International leaders seem to be exhibiting more bravery and transparency for their 30 years of rationalizing & Theologizing harmful indulgences than our CA Judiciary-heads – and, for admittedly being “too religious” and too “rules-oriented.”
Now, compare that situation with our JC/AOC/CJ scoundrels, enablers and black-collar criminals. Whether it’s out of greed or fear, spineless zealots and enablers always seem to flock for funds & kudos… UNLESS, there’s an intervention or their bosses & bishops get caught! Let’s hope that the TRULY Honorable ones left in our once justice-oriented Judiciary (and media) can build a salient rally of their own…
Great report JCW!!
[Today is Day 834…]
courtflea
June 22, 2013
As I have stated before here on this site, I do have a nomination for naming something after someone who is still alive: The bathrooms in the JC conference center should be called the Jahr Heads.
Nathaniel Woodhull
June 22, 2013
MaxRebo knows of what he/she speaks (plausible deniability). Max is an astute person. Please, continue to follow the money…learn the background of the Shapiro Fund and how it was that Mr. Shapiro made his millions and the destruction left in his wake dating back to the early 1960’s. One could say that he was the original Gordon Gecko. I am sure that the extended family of HRH-1 did very well on the “advise” they received from Mr. Shapiro over the decades. I am equally sure that Mr. Shapiro never received anything in return. (LOL: LMAO; 🙂 )
There are clear reasons why HRH-1 left Dodge (City), along with Vickrey and Overholt, at the time that they did. I hope that at some point during my lifetime the truth becomes public and those of us who have fought the fight for almost twenty years are no longer forced to stay behind these pseudonyms.
Everyone should take a step back and reflect upon the tremendous public service that JCW has and continues to provide. If it weren’t for JCW and members of the Alliance, things in California would be a whole lot worse!
Keep up the good work JCW! All those who contribute to this site, keep swinging for the fences.
wearyant
June 22, 2013
Thanks, JCW! And fellow bloggers, don’t forget the skank witch who also broke and ran as CCMS was discovered to be the real mess that it is. As for the names of the greedy adorning our justice centers and conference rooms, as was the gum and other crap removed from edifices previously, yeah, let’s sandblast ’em off.
Wendy Darling
June 22, 2013
There are clear reasons why HRH-1 left Dodge (City), along with Vickrey and Overholt, at the time that they did.”
Yes. And there are clear reasons why HRH-1 made sure to leave HRH-2 “in charge” before exiting stage left. The last back door deal with Arnie. After all, according to HRH-2, we’re all living “in the house that George built” (her own words) and we should all be happy about it. There is absolutely nothing wrong in the branch that more money won’t fix. Those that disagree just need to shut up and go away, and everything will be just fine.
There’s no ethics problem in branch administration. No branch mismanagement. The SEC report is inconvenient, and therefore ignored. CCMS is the past, and therefore shouldn’t be brought up. There is no crisis or absence of leadership. It’s just a money problem. That’s the view from 455 Golden Gate Avenue and the Office of the Chief Justice. Her vision, her choice, her “leadership.”
455 Golden Gate Avenue just doesn’t get it.
Long live the ACJ.
wearyant
June 22, 2013
“There’s no ethics problem in branch administration. No branch mismanagement.”
Yes, Wendy Darling. And we’ll all hear more of that funny stuff next week under the big top. Lookin’ forward to it. It’s like a combination horror show with a long avoided dental appointment to me … 😉
Wendy Darling
June 22, 2013
Judicial Council Meeting: CCMS is finished and it works. Let’s name a building after ourselves. Then we’ll pass a resolution demanding more money from the State Legislature. Please pass the Kool-Aid.
Still serving themselves to the detriment of all Californians.
Long live the ACJ.
Lando
June 23, 2013
You are so right Wendy. HRH-2 always says everything is about “budget”. That is her answer when asked about any branch problem. It is a great way to deflect dealing with all other branch governance issues. What really amazes me is how the “insiders” at 455 Golden Gate keep blundering along and never ever accept any responsibility for anything. Continuing to hire tech employees, wanting to continue to expand CCMS , Long Beach, Jahr’s absurd plan to charge the public for access to their records and installing the arrogant J Hull to suppress all branch dissent. What I love most is claiming the SEC report has been implemented. In the words of Kevin Bacon in Animal House, “All is well, All is well”. What a total disgrace. Please pass the Kool-Aid indeed.
The OBT
June 23, 2013
General Woodhull we all need to say thanks to you. Following the money is always the way to the truth. In the hey day of big spending the Shapiro fund payed for lots of stuff ranging from the wine on the table at the crowning of King George’s 10th year as CJ ( in which he received a Judicial Excellence award) to the many ” Purpose of Justice ” lectures or Summit of Judicial Leaders. The Shapiro fund also paid for glossy calendars that had Pravda like JC/AOC messages about all their numerous ” accomplishments”. Did any of this get reported to a state agency like the FPPC? Where is the Shapiro fund now? Somehow it seems to have vanished. These and many other questions need answers. Is anyone in the legislature listening ?
unionman575
June 23, 2013
And now a word from Hot Rod in San Diego…
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Report-Court-Funding-Cuts-Painful-for-Economy-Families-212422041.html
Report: Court Funding Cuts Painful for Economy, Families
By Gene Cubbison
Thursday, Jun 20, 2013 | Updated 9:35 PM PDT
Court Suffers Due
to State Budget Cuts
At a time when California’s courts are becoming swamped with criminal and civil cases, the legal system’s ability to handle the overload seems to be slipping away.
“This isn’t just a lawyer issue,” says attorney Jon R. Williams, president-elect of the San Diego County Bar Assn. “This is an issue that affects public safety. It affects businesses, and it affects families. It’s an issue that everybody should be concerned with.”
Williams was the lead author of a just-released SDCBA study titled “State of the Judiciary in San Diego County” that reaffirms the notion that “justice delayed is justice denied”.
Some takeaways from the report?
The legal system is in deep distress.
When people talk about getting “their day in court”, they probably should reduce their expectations, if not sense of entitlement — especially on the civil side of the ledger.
On the criminal side, the legal deadlines are harder and faster.
But even that’s slowing down.
Over the past five years, California’s judicial system has endured $1.2 billion in state budget cuts – representing a 30 percent reduction in former levels of personnel and resources.
Courthouse and courtroom closings and layoffs have tripled the volume of caseloads handled by the remaining judges and staff.
Docket timelines are being extended by several months, often many more.
So anyone involved in a criminal case, or civil cases ranging from so-called ‘torts’ to foreclosures, divorces, and estate disputes is likely to see fewer judges and clerks, and wait out growing delays in trials, verdicts, rulings and appeals up ‘the judicial ladder’.
“The last thing that we want is for the public to be affected,” says Robert J. Trentacosta, presiding judge of San Diego’s Superior Court.
But Trentacosta, in an interview Thursday, said that’s just what’s happening – and it’s bad for the economy.
“If business in California cannot rely on the courts to enforce agreements,” Trentacosta warns, “businesses are going to go elsewhere.”
Williams is concerned about a wave of social dysfunction, as cases involving divorce, child custody and support, and foreclosures keep festering.
“If there isn’t a mechanism of addressing these issues in the Family Law setting in particular,” Williams said in an interview Thursday, “you’re going to see an increase in domestic violence. So these folks are going to be in court on the criminal side. And it just puts a further burden on the system.”
Without significant new funding, Trentacosta sees the caseload crisis getting worse before it gets better.
“Despite the best efforts of our judges, the best efforts of our clerks, there simply aren’t enough people to do the work that comes through the door,” he said. “We serve everyone, whether they’re rich or poor or everybody in between … as difficult as it is on our staff, it is even worse for the public. And that is just sad.”
Now, for a change, the courts are in line for budget boost — $60 million – in legislation now on Gov. Brown’s desk that would take effect for the fiscal year starting July 1st.
But Trentacosta and Williams point out that’s not much, in the larger scheme of things.
Less than $2 million is earmarked for San Diego County.
Expectations are, it will take many years to right the judicial ship.
At the risk of ‘talking inside baseball’, the legal community offers this added perspective:
All the people served by the courts don’t recognize themselves as a constituency, and thus don’t rise up to lobby or protest like other ‘special interests’.
And, the judicial branch of government doesn’t have fundraising powers.
“We have been cut disproportionately”, says Trentacosta, noting that the courts account for only 2 percent of the state’s budget.
“The judiciary has been cut – and the natural consequence is that society suffers.”
unionman575
June 23, 2013
Posted June 20, 2013
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA,
COUNTY OF MONTEREY
PUBLIC NOTICE
TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF KING CITY COURTHOUSE
EFFECTIVE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
unionman575
June 23, 2013
unionman575
June 23, 2013
unionman575
June 23, 2013
Judicial Council to Consider Allowing Superior
Courts to Require E-filing in Civil Cases
Self-represented litigants would be exempt from
mandatory electronic filing and service
unionman575
June 23, 2013
Get me a bucket…10 pages of good stuff…
😉
A new 5 year Taj Majal building program “Item B Court Facilities: Judicial Branch AB 1473 Five-Year Infrastructure Plan for Fiscal Year 2014–2015”:
unionman575
June 23, 2013
AOC Restructuring: Judicial Council Liaisons’ Review of the Legal Services Office and Recommendations
Oh my..I am gonna lose it…
unionman575
June 23, 2013
Judicial Council: Implementation of Judicial
Council Directives on AOC Restructuring
😉
unionman575
June 23, 2013
Item A7 Judicial Branch Education: AOC Staff Education (Action Required)
Rule 10.491 of the California Rules of Court addresses minimum education requirements for
AOC executives, managers, supervisors, and other employees. The Rules and Projects
Committee recommends amending rule 10.491 regarding AOC staff education to give the
Administrative Director of the Courts greater discretion and flexibility in using the AOC
workforce.
Hon. Harry E. Hull, Jr., Chair, and Hon. Judith Ashmann-Gerst, Vice-Chair, Rules and
Projects Committee
Ms. Susan R. McMullan, Legal Services Office
😉
unionman575
June 23, 2013
Update on AOC Policy 2.8 (Responding to
Requests for Judicial Administrative Records
and Information)
This is bullshit…
😉
Wendy Darling
June 23, 2013
Actual AOC/Judicial Branch policy regarding requests for information: Delay, deny, defer, diminish, deceive.
Long live the ACJ.
courtflea
June 24, 2013
unionman575
June 24, 2013
Nice!
😉
wearyant
June 24, 2013
Wow, great find, Flea! Anyone know how to pipe that thing in to the meeting room on the 26th, 27th and 28th? Maybe I could attend by speaker-phone … 😀
The OBT
June 23, 2013
and suppress dissent in the process. Thanks Wendy for your insights.
Lando
June 24, 2013
That memo regarding adult AOC education ( thanks Unionman) from Hull to whoever is a classic. It is representative of an out of touch and out of time bureaucracy. ( another great Hall and Oates tune, Unionman) By the way, this guy Hull is about as arrogant as they come. He really needs to get over himself. How in the world did he ever get on on the Judicial Council? Hmm, I think he was HRH-2’s first appointment replacing J Huffman. So much for transparency, reform and so called “change” at 455 Golden Gate. The more things “change”the more they stay the same.
R. Campomadera
June 24, 2013
The current issue of The New Yorker (June 24, 2013) contains a fascinating article on government secrecy. Although written in the context of the current NSA phone/email controversy, it is also relevent in the context of the lack of transparency in government generally.
“Secresy is an instrument of conspiracy,” Jeremy Bentham argued, in an essay called “Of Publicity,” …“It ought not, therefore, to be the system of a regular government.” By “publicity,” Bentham meant what is now usually called transparency, or openness. “Without publicity, no good is permanent: under the auspices of publicity, no evil can continue.” He urged, for instance, that members of the public be allowed into the legislature, and that the debates held there be published. The principal defense for keeping the proceedings of government private—the position advocated by those Bentham called “the partisans of mystery”—was that the people are too ignorant to judge their rulers. “This, then, is the reasoning of the partisans of mystery,” Bentham wrote. “ ‘You are incapable of judging, because you are ignorant; and you shall remain ignorant, that you may be incapable of judging.’ ” But Bentham insisted not only that publicity could educate the public (who would learn about politics by reading the proceedings) but also that it would improve the nature of political conversation (because elected officials would behave better if they were being watched).
Although Bentham urges that the public be allowed into legislative bodies, the same logic holds for judicial administration, and is additional argument, as if any were needed, for democratization of the JC/AOC.
wearyant
June 24, 2013
Interesting points made above, R. Campomadera. Thanks for posting. As for Lando’s mentioning the Hull memo re adult AOC education, wow, I never felt compassion for AOC employees until checking that out. What an absolutely horrid environment to be working in under those two weirdos, Hull and A-G. It would be merciful to gut the AOC, starting with top management, of course!
unionman575
June 24, 2013
Budget-wise, creating a new court is “treated as a workload issue for us,” Landry said. Some cases might take more time and effort, but if successful, “Then you have people hopefully transition out of the criminal justice system,” which eases court resources overall.
😉
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_23520755/special-criminal-courts-being-created-military-veterans
wearyant
June 24, 2013
God bless our veterans. May they not be subject to bureaucratic hell. As far as easing our court resources, let’s ease those bozos at the top rungs of the AOC out the door, sooner than later, and keep our valuable front line workers.
unionman575
June 24, 2013
Ant – Still proud to be a slum dog in the trial courts…
😉
unionman575
June 25, 2013
And now a word from Riverside Superior Court…
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20130623/NEWS01/306230014/Blythe-courthouse-cuts-could-crowd-Indio-center
Cuts could crowd Indio’s courthouse
Reductions at Blythe facility could send cases 100 miles away to Coachella Valley
Jun. 23, 2013 |
Written by
Blake Herzog
The Desert Sun
BLYTHE — Service reduction or a possible closure of the courthouse here are likely to affect the caseload at the Larson Justice Center in Indio later this year.
Presiding Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Cope said he hopes to avoid a complete shutdown in Blythe, but some cutbacks are inevitable due to reduced state funding.
“We probably will not close it, but there will have to be changes,” he said in an email.
A public comment period about the changes will end July 19, after the original June 1 deadline was extended. Changes could begin as soon as July 22.
The court is working on a similar timeline for possible closure or cutbacks at the Temecula courthouse, where the nearest alternative is 6 miles away, versus 100 miles for Blythe.
John Patrick Dolan, an Indio-based defense attorney, said there doesn’t appear to be much concern about cutbacks in Blythe increasing the Larson center’s caseload, since most felonies, plus misdemeanors that go to a jury trial from that area are already sent to Indio.
He said access for Blythe residents is the bigger issue.
“For an Indio lawyer, it might be a good thing, though you never like to see a courthouse shut down, because if you get a Blythe case, you won’t have to drive out to Blythe,” he said.
Mario Rodriguez, another Indio attorney, is more worried about cases taking longer to process if Blythe cases are shifted onto the already-overtaxed court staff in Indio.
It used to be easy to reschedule a hearing within a couple of days, he said, but now judges are blacking out weeks at a time on their calendar because they’re booked. Adding Blythe cases will just make it worse.
“When you’ve got someone sitting in jail, that’s intolerable,” he said.
Uncertain outcome
The outlook for courts statewide has brightened somewhat, with the proposed state budget awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature restoring $63 million of the $100 million Brown wanted to cut for trial and appellate courts statewide.
Both houses of the Legislature backed putting all $100 million back into the budget, but Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez, D-Coachella, said in an email Wednesday the $63 million “will help prevent further closures of these important community assets and maintain public access to justice.” His district stretches from Indio to Blythe, and south to the Mexican border.
(Page 2 of 2)
Cope said about 10 comments have been submitted about the Blythe courthouse through the formal process, all asking it be kept open at full capacity.
The Larson center sees more than 72,000 case filings a year, but Cope didn’t know how many cases might be sent there should Blythe be closed or have its services reduced.
“The primary concern caused by the closure or reduction in services in Blythe is not the impact on the Larson Justice Center, it is the severe impact on the people of the Palo Verde Valley,” which includes Blythe, he said.
Civil, criminal, traffic, small claims, family law and evictions cases are currently heard at the Blythe courthouse, which has one judge and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Cost-effective?
A total shutdown in Blythe would save the court $741,000 a year, Cope said, with less drastic measures yielding less savings.
Burton Campbell owns a bail-bonds outlet in Blythe, and said, “I don’t really see a lot of the wisdom in this, because the money saved will be spent on the sheriff’s department trying to get prisoners from point A to point B.”
Blythe Rotary members and other residents have gathered about 300 signatures on a petition asking local officials to keep the courthouse open, and followed it up with a letter-writing campaign.
Rotary webmaster Eugenia Webber said lower-income residents, who generally have the most need for court services, won’t be able to afford the drive to Indio if the court closes.
“If someone needs a restraining order, by the time they make it to Indio, they might’ve gotten the hell beaten out of them,” she said.
Jim Shipley, president of the Blythe Chamber of Commerce, said the courthouse serves about 25,000 to 30,000 people. About 14,000 are residents of Blythe (not counting 7,000 prison inmates), with the rest living up and down the Colorado River and as far east as Desert Center.
Cope said about 10 comments have been submitted about the Blythe courthouse through the formal process, all asking it be kept open at full capacity.
The Larson center sees more than 72,000 case filings a year, but Cope didn’t know how many cases might be sent there should Blythe be closed or have its services reduced.
“The primary concern caused by the closure or reduction in services in Blythe is not the impact on the Larson Justice Center, it is the severe impact on the people of the Palo Verde Valley,” which includes Blythe, he said.
Civil, criminal, traffic, small claims, family law and evictions cases are currently heard at the Blythe courthouse, which has one judge and is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Cost-effective?
A total shutdown in Blythe would save the court $741,000 a year, Cope said, with less drastic measures yielding less savings.
Burton Campbell owns a bail-bonds outlet in Blythe, and said, “I don’t really see a lot of the wisdom in this, because the money saved will be spent on the sheriff’s department trying to get prisoners from point A to point B.”
Blythe Rotary members and other residents have gathered about 300 signatures on a petition asking local officials to keep the courthouse open, and followed it up with a letter-writing campaign.
Rotary webmaster Eugenia Webber said lower-income residents, who generally have the most need for court services, won’t be able to afford the drive to Indio if the court closes.
“If someone needs a restraining order, by the time they make it to Indio, they might’ve gotten the hell beaten out of them,” she said.
Jim Shipley, president of the Blythe Chamber of Commerce, said the courthouse serves about 25,000 to 30,000 people. About 14,000 are residents of Blythe (not counting 7,000 prison inmates), with the rest living up and down the Colorado River and as far east as Desert Center.
Comments about the Blythe courthouse closure or service reductions can be sent to P.O Box 1547, Riverside, CA 92502 or to webassistance@riverside.courts.ca.gov.
😉
Perhaps folks can hitch a ride to court here:
Judicial Council Watcher
June 25, 2013
Yet right around the corner from Mt. San Jacinto from Indio, we have this going up which will likely remain vacant after construction due to staff shortages.
http://webcampub.multivista.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=webcampub.page&wcpp=c5897c05-123b-441a-b69d-050b402f6f66
All for the bargain basement price of 10.5 million per courtroom.
unionman575
June 26, 2013
Yes it will remain vacant due to severe staff shortages.
I can’t wait to see that JCW.
😉
Lando
June 25, 2013
Rumors around the courthouse today that HRH-2 may have brought contradictory financial information regarding reserves to meetings with the legislature and the result was slashing back the original 100 million planned to be allocated to the branch to 63 million. While I would like to believe that isn’t accurate, given the “insiders” track record of blundering, I could believe anything at this point. Since JCW does such excellent investigative work this might be an area for further followup.
Wendy Darling
June 25, 2013
It’s all about “budget”, Lando. Telling the truth, or giving accurate financial information, isn’t in her playbook.
Just look at the state of the branch two plus years into her “leadership” and that should tell anyone all they need to know. Heck, a person doesn’t need to look any further than the people she has chosen to surround herself with at 455 Golden Gate Avenue.
Long live the ACJ.
unionman575
June 26, 2013
unionman575
June 26, 2013
They always bring contradictory financial information regarding reserves to meetings with the legislature.
😉
Nathaniel Woodhull
June 26, 2013
Lando is right on the money! (pun intended) If it were not for the union representatives present, the trial courts would have been slashed after HRH-2’s major gaffe.
I found this training tape from former AOC management, (guess which one is Mr. Bill) 🙂
wearyant
June 26, 2013
Oh my gawd, he said it! The “mark of excellence.” Thanks for clearing up where that phrase was found, General! The General is giving Uman575 a run for his money (pun intended) as far as finding these unique videos! Seriously, folks, who get to stay in the AOC condo this weekend for Friday’s fete? How is that decided?
Long live our union reps! Recall The Tani! Long live the ACJ! Drive safe this weekend, both ghouls and angels alike!
wearyant
June 26, 2013
In answering my own question, I suppose the commuter from Switzerland deserves the luxury suite since he has the longest commute …
😀
unionman575
June 26, 2013
Hold on I am thinking of a number between one and three…
😉
Wendy Darling
June 27, 2013
For some odd reason, I keep hearing that song from The Wizard of Oz where all the munchkins dance to the tune of “Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead.” Published today, Thursday, June 27, from Courthouse News Service, by Maria Dinzeo:
Judiciary’s Top Lawyer to Retire as Judicial Council Votes on Overhaul
By MARIA DINZEO
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – The top lawyer for California’s courts will retire at the end of the year with the Judicial Council set to vote Friday on an overhaul of her office. The tenure of Mary Roberts was rocked by a reform committee’s conclusion that her office had strayed from a service oriented operation to become a bloated, policy-influencing gatekeeper while allowing too many of its lawyers to work from home.
The Judicial Council is set to vote Friday on a number of controversial issues, including rules for e-filing, the manner in which the head of the presiding judges committee is chosen, and a set of recommendations on how the legal services office “should be restructured.”
The recommended reorganization of the legal services office would break it into three sections, legal opinions, business operations and labor and litigation.
The management hierarchy of the office would be simplified and reduced by appointing three managing attorneys for each of the three separate sections, called “areas of service” in the recommendations.
The changes are being proposed by Justice Douglas Miller who heads the powerful executive committee of the rule-making Judicial Council and Edith Matthai, a member of the council who is with Robie & Matthai in Los Angeles and specializes in legal malpractice defense and also represents judges in disciplinary matters.
News of Robert’s decision to retire at the end of this year was confimed by the administrative office on Thursday, just ahead of Friday’s Judicial Council meeting.
A specialist in labor and employment law, Roberts joined the Administrative Office of the Courts in 2001, when 57 of California’s 58 trial courts became unionized during the move from county to state trial court funding.
“Even when we’ve had disagreements it has always been respectful,” said Miller, who worked extensively with Roberts over the two years. “I’ve appreciated her service to the judicial branch and especially the value she provides in the judicial opinions they are called to do on a regular basis.”
But her tenure also brought criticism from many trial judges who saw her as the agent of the administrative office.
After her appointment, Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye in 2011 formed the 14-judge Strategic Evaluation Committee to recommend reforms of the administrative office, including the of the legal office, then called Office of the General Counsel, headed by Roberts.
In its report on the office, published last year, the committee recommended cutting back on the roughly 75 positions in that office that included more than 50 lawyers. “The sheer number of attorneys in the AOC is eye-catching,” said the report.
The report also found that two attorneys were telecommuting from out of state and one working from Switzerland in violation of administrative office policy. There was also criticism over the hiring of more attorneys for her office during a hiring-freeze.
The report also faulted Roberts’ office for failing to implement reforms recommended by a consultant five years earlier and concluded that, “It is appropriate to question the effectiveness of the management of Office of the General Council and its level of commitment to providing timely service to the courts.”
But the most fundamental criticism was that the office had placed the interests of the administrative office over the interest of California’s local trial courts.
“Multiple courts express concern that advice given by Office of the General Counsel is political or result-oriented in the sense that it may be colored by placing the AOC’s interests ahead of the specific interests of he trial court,” said the report. “For this reason, and because of other issues discussed in this section, many courts simply lack trust or confidence in OGC.”
Along those lines, the committee also criticized Roberts’ perception of herself as a “‘gatekeeper’ for matters that are put before the Judicial Council and that the General Counsel has inserted herself into the policy making functions of the Judicial Council, as opposed to the more appropriate role of providing legal services and advice.”
The committee recommended redefining the office’s role and suggested a name change to the less-lofty sounding Office of Legal Services.
“It appears that the respective roles of the Judicial Council, as policy makers, and the role of the General Counsel, as legal adviser, have become blurred,” its report said. “From a historical perspective, as an office that was once shown in AOC organization charts as the Office of Legal Services has been elevated in status, becoming the Office of General Counsel. All of these developments point to the need for redefining the proper role of the AOC’s top legal adviser in the organization, recognizing the primacy of the Judicial Council in determining the goals and objectives to be carried out by the AOC.”
A year after the report’s release, the Judicial Council is gearing up for an overhaul of the office. The name change has already taken place, attorney positions have been reduced and the out-of-state and country telecommuting has been axed.
In reviewing Robert’s tenure as the courts’ top legal adviser, executive committee head Miller said the development of the judicial branch contracting manual was one of her office’s most important accomplishments.
Adopted by the Judicial Council in August 2011, its intent is to bring the judiciary in line with California’s public contract code when procuring goods and services, a requirement that became law in March 2011.
“It’s complicated, lengthy and very difficult,” said Millier. “Her office made it more understandable and provided a framework for both the Judicial Council and the courts to deal with all the ramifications of that.”
Miller noted several notable projects Roberts has spearheaded, beginning with the organization of the legal opinions unit, which provides opinions to trial and appellate courts on legal matters.
“She was instrumental in organizing the litigation management unit so it could respond to lawsuits when that became a statewide responsibility,” said Miller. “She did a great job marshaling those forces and successfully defending the trial courts.”
Roberts was unavailable for comment, but her intention to leave the AOC was announced to the Council and staff by AOC Director Steve Jahr via email.
“I appreciate Mary’s contributions to the Judicial Council, the AOC, and the courts during her more than 12-year tenure with the branch. As Chief Counsel, she has overseen the provision of a range of first-class legal programs and services to improve the statewide administration of justice and benefit the public we serve,” Jahr said. Jahr was also unavailable for further comment.
He noted that Roberts plans to “engage in international human rights/democracy work, especially in Burma (Myanmar) where she has family-a truly noble pursuit for the greater good and reflection of Mary’s commitment to making a difference as a lawyer and as an individual.”
http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/06/27/58904.htm
Long live the ACJ.
unionman575
June 27, 2013
Adios Lizard.
😉
MaxRebo5
June 27, 2013
I never met “the Lizard” but know well the folks she served. This has to be a good step toward cleaning house at the AOC.
Lots more “retirements” needed at the AOC. Jodi and the Curts gotta go. Then it’ll be clean of the residue of HRH1.
HRH2 has work to do too. She can start by admitting the AOC failed on CCMS and on the Long Beach Courthouse and that it was Bill Vickrey’s management style that led to the need for the SEC Report where the AOC was not reporting to the JC on any of the org charts and the Office Of General Counsel got inflated to be a “gatekeeper” aka weapon of AOC Exec Office. They were advocates in the OGC for the AOC viewpoint not neutral legal advisors for the trial court’s interests. With the JC 100% appointed by the Chief Justice though I can’t say those attoneys had much choice.
HRH2 really needs to democratize the JC, rename the conference center, drop Team George, and shut down the AOC in SF. Such acts would go a long way toward showing res
MaxRebo5
June 27, 2013
Meant to say – toward showing respect for the other branches who had to pull the plug on CCMS, demand Vickrey’s resignation, and are just now investigating the Long Beach scandal. The Chief has major work to do.
Wendy Darling
June 27, 2013
“Lots more “retirements” needed at the AOC. Jodi and the Curts gotta go. Then it’ll be clean of the residue of HRH1. ”
Not quite, MaxRebo5. Not quite.
Long live the ACJ.
Delilah
June 27, 2013
The top lawyer for California’s courts will retire at the end of the year with the Judicial Council set to vote Friday on an overhaul of her office.
Puke-fest. She’s exiting stage left, just like HRH1, Vickrey and RonO, with their pensions and perks intact, and employability elsewhere if they want it for further padding. Ain’t life grand!
But the most fundamental criticism was that the office had placed the interests of the administrative office over the interest of California’s local trial courts. “Multiple courts express concern that advice given by Office of the General Counsel is political or result-oriented in the sense that it may be colored by placing the AOC’s interests ahead of the specific interests of he trial court,” said the report.
Gee, ya think? This statement is straight out of the Department of No Shit Sherlock (DNSS) That is the true Mission Statement of the AOC — placing the AOC’s interests ahead of the trial court’s — and Roberts was only doing what the AOC/CJ required her to do to keep her job and carry out their wishes. Same reason HRH2 is still there, even though her position on the throne was ordained by HRH1 and rubber-stamped by Arnie instead of the AOC or the JC directly, all in service of the above and to preserve the “legacy” of “The great Ron George.”
“For this reason, and because of other issues discussed in this section, many courts simply lack trust or confidence in OGC.”
Only the OGC?
Along those lines, the committee also criticized Roberts’ perception of herself as a “‘gatekeeper’ for matters that are put before the Judicial Council and that the General Counsel has inserted herself into the policy making functions of the Judicial Council, as opposed to the more appropriate role of providing legal services and advice.”
Once again, because that is the power the AOC/JC bestowed upon her, required of her, tasked her with, rewarded her for, and upon which her job depended. In that respect, she did a fabulous job; no? And now she will walk away scot-free just like the rest of them. It’s a good gig if you can get it and you don’t truly give a damn about the public interest and you’re willing and capable of being the hit-man your were hired to be. I do not know her and make no excuses for her. But, if not her, it would have been somebody else. (Exhibit 1: JahrHead)
The JC tagline: “The Judicial Council is the policymaking body of the California courts, the largest court system in the nation. Under the leadership of the Chief Justice and in accordance with the California Constitution, the council is responsible for ensuring the consistent, independent, impartial, and accessible administration of justice. The Administrative Office of the Courts carries out the official actions of the council and promotes leadership and excellence in court administration.”
HAHAHAHAHAHA. Wendy Darling has it right. “Still serving themselves to the detriment of all Californians”
Wendy Darling
June 27, 2013
All true, Delilah, except for one thing. Roberts hasn’t been some innocent pawn and obedient soldier. She has been a willing and enthusiastic participant and architect. Her particular specialty: mercilessly punishing people for telling the truth.
Long live the ACJ.
Delilah
June 27, 2013
>>All true, Delilah, except for one thing. Roberts hasn’t been some innocent pawn and obedient soldier. She has been a willing and enthusiastic participant and architect. Her particular specialty: mercilessly punishing people for telling the truth.<<
I understand, Wendy. They are all birds of a feather. They excel at recruiting/retaining/appointing/anointing their own kind. They are all complicit and merciless. The "truth, " in their eyes," is their BS spin.
Nathaniel Woodhull
June 27, 2013
No thanks to HRH-2, Governor Brown has signed the Budget restoring a mere $60 Million in funding to the Judicial Branch. We should all be happy we got anything from the Governor. Remember, but for her major gaffe we would have received $100 Million, allowing us to reduce the layoffs even further. Everyone being laid-off should send a postcard to Tani thanking her for her complete ineptitude! Amazing how far one can go if they were the babysitter for a former Governor’s children.
Let’s not forget giving Mary Roberts and let’s all send her off with a fond farewell. Mary, Mary, Mary, the only lawyer at the AOC who could be counted on to do a complete 180 during a meeting in which she had given you an opposite legal opinion just 20 minutes earlier. Ahhh, incompetence, the Hallmark of those folks in power within the AOC. I really feel sorry for the hardworking minions within the AOC who have to work for these Bozos and Bozo-ettes.
Keep digging, there are more bodies out there!!!
Wendy Darling
June 27, 2013
Good bye and good riddance to Roberts — one of the most unethical persons I have ever crossed paths with.
Long live the ACJ.
wearyant
June 27, 2013
If I were Mary Roberts aka The Lizard, I would get as far away from here as possible too, where there is family to hold my hand. And what a spin put on it! “A noble pursuit for the greater good”?! Wow. Who needs media liaison at the AOC with that kinda crap being put out by the top guy? The air has got to be a lot thinner up there in the ivory tower. It will be a kinder, gentler place in her absence, no doubt, with the wounds and stinks left behind slowly healing, as they must. Bon voyage, missy. Be sure to drop us all a line to let us know how the humanitarian efforts are going.
Wendy Darling
June 27, 2013
There will still be plenty to stink up the place when Roberts leaves.
Long live the ACJ.
Wendy Darling
June 27, 2013
So much for anything resembling real transparency at 455 Golden Gate Avenue. Published today, Thursday, June 27, from The Recorder, the on-line publication of CalLaw, by Cheryl Miller:
Governor Won’t Make Judicial Council Open Meetings
By Cheryl Miller
SACRAMENTO — Governor Jerry Brown on Thursday signed a state budget that includes an extra $63 million for courts but deletes Legislature-sought language that would have forced the judiciary to open its many policy- and rule-making meetings to the public.
“This spending provision would create cost pressures on trial courts,” Brown said in a veto message, even though the open-meeting provisions were aimed squarely at the Judicial Council’s more than two dozen subcommittees and task forces, not the trial courts.
“I urge the Judicial Council to continue efforts to provide greater public access to judicial branch committee activities,” the governor wrote.
His message marked a victory for Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who, along with other branch leaders, had lobbied Brown for a veto. The open-meeting language would have forced the council to adopt a rule of court outlining meeting policies by Oct. 1.
“It’s not something that can be hastily done,” Cantil-Sakauye said Thursday. “It has to be thoughtful and deliberative because we are different. … So this is something that, yes, needs to be done. But it has to be done with care.”
Ironically, the governor and legislative leaders this month faced a public backlash for — and ultimately backtracked from — a budget proposal that would have weakened enforcement of the state’s Public Records Act. Finance director Ana Matosantos said the budget language forcing the judicial branch to develop and enact open meeting laws would have cost too much, although she could not provide specific estimates.
“We are asking the Judicial Council to step up and become more accessible on their own,” she said.
The outgoing chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee called the governor’s veto “a mistake.”
“The public has a right to know the decisions affecting access to justice and the administration of justice,” said Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Van Nuys.
The Judicial Council relies on more than two dozen committees, task forces and working groups to hash out the details of a wide range of policies, including how the branch’s $3 billion budget is spent. Most of those gatherings are closed to all but committee members, guests and staff. Agendas and minutes are rarely made public and when they are, they are often weeks or even months old.
The chief justice said council members are working on language addressing open meetings, and they could have something by early 2014. “That’s aspirational,” she added.
But Fourth District Court of Appeal Justice Douglas Miller, who chairs the council’s Executive and Planning Committee, warned that many committee issues are too sensitive to discuss in public.
“We have over 20 to 30 advisory committees and task forces, many which deal with very sensitive issues, some which are attorney-client issues, some which are litigation matters … some which deal with the contracting manual, which needs to be done in a closed session,” he said.
The budget signed by Brown on Thursday retains an already announced extra $60 million for the trial courts and another $3 million to be shared by the Supreme Court, the appellate courts and the Habeas Corpus Resource Center. Court leaders said they’re grateful for the extra money but warned that it will have a minor impact.
San Mateo County Superior Court executive officer John Fitton said he’ll be able to restore one courtroom slated for closure, drop plans for laying off seven staffers and one commissioner and possibly restore some public service hours. But the additional funding won’t be enough to prevent the loss of three other court commissioners and seven court employees, he said.
“This is good news and a significant first step. However, it should be clear that this partial restoration does not begin to erase the damage done by the ongoing cuts to the state trial courts,” Fitton said in a prepared statement.
http://www.law.com/jsp/ca/PubArticleCA.jsp?id=1202608894054&Governor_Wont_Make_Judicial_Council_Open_Meetings
Long live the ACJ.
unionman575
June 28, 2013
The OBT
June 28, 2013
Max Rebo I always find your comments to be insightful and fair. Despite the fact that HRH-1, Huffman, Vickrey,Overholt, Callebro, Patton and now Roberts have left, absolutely nothing at the crystal palace has changed.The sad reality is that nothing will change when Patel and the rest of the so called “management” exit 455 Golden Gate.The problem is the culture HRH-1 created pervades far more than all that. J Hull and J Miller have essentially replaced Huffman and continue his antidemocratic and arrogant management policies. HRH-2 allows all this to happen as she remains committed to preserving in her words “the great Ron George’s” legacy. Just as we saw in the HRH-1 regime no real debate or dissent occurs or is allowed at judicial Council meetings or within the confines of the AOC. The result? Blunders continue to this day including HRH-2 ‘s huge mismanagement of budget negotiations that appear to have cost the trial courts almost 40 million dollars. Nothing will really change until the legislature decides to do the right thing and defund the AOC and allow 95% of their budget allocations to go directly to the trial courts. This will result in restoring the trial courts to their proper place under the constitution, force the AOC to radically downsize and reduce the Judicial Council to a powerless chattering class.
unionman575
June 28, 2013
It is time to shut the AOC down and…
http://recalltani.wordpress.com/
Recall Tani Organizing Committee (RTOC)
A Judicial Council Watcher public accountability project
😉
wearyant
June 28, 2013
Folks, I know I’m preaching to the choir here of course, but in listening to the JC meeting, it is SO EVIDENT that any buiilding planning, construction and maintenance should be taken out of AOC’s hands! The lack of knowledge, the cronyism, the arrogance — J Miller suggesting that real estate negotiations should be kept from the public in his so-called efforts toward greater transparency — this huge arena encompassing all phases of construction and maintenance with its attendant labor issues, material costs, architecture — well, just look at Long Beach. What a major gaffe and that’s putting it politely. These people in the JC/AOC/CJ office are such pigeons just waiting to be plucked. And the public pays for their ineptitude. These issues should be totally made public from the germ of an idea to the proposed planning — and J Miller says real estate negotiations should be discussed within closed sessions. Bull[sh]it! It is so apparent these people are way out of their depth in the construction business, 1407 has just got to be done away with somehow!! Just get the building industry out of the judicial focus and get back to restoring our trial court services. If these bozos want to build, leave our third branch and get a contracting license. GO AWAY.
Oh, my. For all our sakes I may have to have my dear hubby lock my keyboard up somewhere for the rest of the day. I always flip out on JC meeting days.
De-fund the AOC! Recall The Tani! Long live the ACJ!
wearyant
June 28, 2013
Oh, and by all means, congrats to smiling Lee W! Great award. Enjoy your plunder.
courtflea
June 28, 2013
amen wearyant amen