We pass on to you the latest comments from respected political columnist Dan Walters. We want to thank those of you who have joined with us as members. As Mr. Walters points out, this was done at no small risk and, while many sat by, you joined in the effort. Your voices are being heard — a wider audience now knows the truth about the difficulties facing the judiciary. The truth cannot be suppressed and distorted forever, no matter how hard some people in the branch have tried to do just that by attacking the messenger, claiming the problems have already been addressed, or comparing the inexcusable waste to a “bucket of water in Lake Tahoe.”
The Alliance has pointed out the problems and now we will point out the solutions. They will in no way threaten branch autonomy. Quite the contrary, if adopted our solutions will strengthen the branch and ensure that the oft-broken promise of secure and adequate funding for all courts, and for all necessary programs, will be realized. This will be done by utilizing the talents and experience of elected judges, not unelected bureaucrats and appointed Judicial Council members. We are hard at work crafting that plan.
Thank you again for your continued support. If you are not a member, consider adding your name to the list of more than 500 judges, court commissioners and retired judges committed to finding a solution. Much more must be done in the days ahead.
Directors, Alliance of California Judges
__________________________________
JCW: “The bucket of water” that Rosenberg refers to is more like ten thousand gallons of used motor oil dumped into lake tahoe and he knows that. Much like the rest of the bobbleheads on the council, he seeks to minimize the amount of damage both he and his associates have done to the judicial branch with their extreme lack of oversight – or worse, outright complicity in that gross mismanagement.
__________________________________
Because Sacbee appears to be putting forth a pay gate to read a single article of public importance, we managed to get a transcript of the text.
__________________________________
The Alliance of California Judges, a feisty band of rebels in robes, has complained for five years that the state’s judicial bureaucracy had become bloated, overpaid, arrogantly dismissive and incompetent.
The complaints largely fell on deaf ears at the San Francisco-based Judicial Council and Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and in the Governor’s Office.
Two chief justices, Ron George and successor Tani Cantil-Sakauye, tended to dismiss the judicial rebels as malcontents who didn’t understand the big picture and who were muddying their pleas for more operational money.
The infighting has been downright nasty, but ultimately, truth won out. Last week, the state auditor’s office issued a blistering report that fundamentally confirmed everything that the rebels had been saying.
Auditor Elaine Howle found that the AOC indeed had lavished high salaries and fringe benefits on itself, beyond those of other state employees, and wasted money on unnecessary expenditures while trial courts throughout the state were being compelled to close their doors for a lack of money.
Howle also confirmed that the Judicial Council, which is supposed to oversee the nation’s largest court system, allowed the AOC’s bureaucracy to run amok.
Howle’s agency has criticized the Judicial Council and the AOC previously for, among other things, wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on an inoperable statewide case-management system and fumbling construction of the Long Beach courthouse.
Taken together, the independent audits fully acquit the Alliance of California Judges, whose members courageously risked their judicial reputations by challenging the court hierarchy.
It is, in a sense, the unforeseen consequence of a state assumption of court finances some years back, believed at the time to be a welcome relief from dependence on county governments.
Overnight, 58 court systems became one, creating a massive new state agency that, it’s now evident, the Judicial Council and the AOC were ill-equipped to manage. And it was complicated by an assumption that the courts were an independent branch of government, free from direct control by the governor and the Legislature, even though they control how much money the courts receive.
What now? Despite the auditor’s criticism and Cantil-Sakauye’s assurances, it’s unlikely that the judicial hierarchy will reform itself. In fact, Howle says the responses she’s received to date are inadequate.
Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature could try to compel reform through the budget process, but they would risk being accused of violating the courts’ independence. It’s not unlike the flap between Brown and the supposedly independent University of California over financial priorities.
Whatever happens, the status quo is unacceptable.
__________________________________________
Yes, Dan it is unacceptable. But we’ve been pointing out the management heavy bloated bureaucracy for over five years and the judicial council has chosen to take no action whatsoever to trim the management fat. Moreover, the Judicial Council staff offices look for ways to charge items to the courts or court funds before charging their own accounts. It is the primary way they are able to have these year-end spending sprees where they spend all of what is left on their own accounts on shiny new toys.
We’ll have more on that later in the week.
JCW
courtflea
January 13, 2015
What is it with Rosenberg. Open mouth, insert foot. Chris Rock would say: shut the f—k up Judge Rosenberg!!!
MaxRebo5
January 13, 2015
The Chief delivered a $161 million dollar courthouse for Yolo County so that bought Rosenberg to her side.
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/guestopinion/ci_22973462/smith-meaningful-yolo-county-courthouse-groundbreaking#
It’s too bad the audit didn’t include the five billion in courthouse construction bond money that Team George controlled and used as a carrot to ensure loyalty within the branch. Many judges and justices want to deliver a nice new courthouse for their community. Follow the money and you can understand why some people (even judges and justices) sell out.
This process reminds me of a theme in the Lord of the Rings about men being easily seduced/corrupted by power. In Tolkien’s story there are 9 very great kings of men who are each given a magic ring of power by Sauron the deceiver. The great kings take the rings without question and gain even more power for themselves but in doing so they also become slaves to the will of the one who gave it to them. They become the ring wraiths, the nazgul, which are the most morally twisted of souls and are neither living nor dead.
We may not have magic rings in the CA Courts but this same concept of corruption of the will goes on with the Chief and subordinate officials. Instead of rings of power the Chief gives out a new Hall of Justice, a seat on the Judicial Council, a big salary to a court administrator, or a chance to be an appellate justice.
Just as those great kings willingly take the rings in Tolkien’s story so too did Rosenberg willingly seek courthouse construction money from the Chief and Judicial Council. Blinded by greed and a desire to serve his local community Rosenberg sold out. Maybe in return they will name the building after him someday for his loyalty. He is proud of his efforts and may never be able to see what he did that is wrong. He honestly served his local community to the max but downplays that he lost the perspective of the broader community of CA and that he is an officer of the CA Constitution. Critics of the corruption in court administration are not negative. I think those judges love California Courts and remember their oaths. They see the larger view that Rosenberg lost because they remained true.
.
This corruption process is how Team George members are created and why they remain loyal to the end. They have taken something (high pay, generous pension, membership on the Judicial Council, a job on the court of appeals, etc) and now they slaves to the will of the Chief. Plus their good intentions are mingled in with their ambitions so they are fierce in their loyalty. They can’t admit to mistakes as a result. Doesn’t this attitude I describe at the top ring true?…that’s a small joke.
Dan Walters says the status quo is unacceptable but notice he does not say how it can be fixed. He leaves that to the political players to decide so he can remain a spectator to the show. Dan makes some progress but not a courageous as I would like him to be. I say the status quo can’t be fixed unless all of the Team George members are removed. This for me includes the Chief as she is the main corrupting force now. She has been there resisting all reforms for the past 4 years and knows about all of it. Impeachment or resignation of the Chief is now the only solution.
Governor Arnold was fooled by Ron George who selected his own successor in Tani. That was very odd. We all were fooled thinking she was a new force of change. Even Judge White was at her confirmation hearing singing her praises. But she has to go now. The entire Judicial Council has to be replaced including the Chief Justice. That is the only way I see to get CA Courts from the status quo to acceptable and just again.
I think Governor Brown starts to see this too but he doesn’t want to damage the institution of the courts. That’s why he is giving the branch more money in hopes it will fix itself. It won’t. He is trying to appease Team George and give them time to change but as the British learned in WW II with Neville Chamberlain there is no appeasing a bully who with dictatorial powers. You have to resist them and fight back. There is currently only one Lord of CA Courts and she does not share power. It will have to be taken from her.
Wendy Darling
January 13, 2015
One Ring to rule them all.
And in the darkness
Bind them.
Long live the ACJ.
unionman575
January 13, 2015
😉
wearyant
January 13, 2015
Bureaucrats are the lowest form of life on earth; court bureaucrats are the lowest form of bureaucrats. My apologies to General Patton.
Queen Tani was the perfect choice to take up the reign of Team George. She was groomed for the job and did very well in keeping the team together, protected and well nourished. Disgustingly admirable job she has done in that regard as the third branch went down in flames. I agree with MaxRebo5. She has to go. If the judiciary is to recover, it’s sadly apparent that the California constitution will probably have to be amended to accomplish this.
Long live the ACJ. May their numbers increase. If they would take members of the unwashed horde, I’d join yesterday.
unionman575
January 13, 2015
http://www.lao.ca.gov/reports/2015/budget/overview/budget-overview-2015.pdf
unionman575
January 13, 2015
Dan has finally RECOGNIZED the real leaders of our branch – the ACJ.
Keep on trucking ACJ. I have been with you from day one.
😉
unionman575
January 13, 2015
“The infighting has been downright nasty, but ultimately, truth won out. Last week, the state auditor’s office issued a blistering report that fundamentally confirmed everything that the rebels had been saying.”
😉
Wendy Darling
January 13, 2015
The Alliance of California Judges told the truth. Since when does one have to be “fully acquitted” of telling the truth?
And as for comparing the atrocious and inexcusable waste of over $30 million dollars of public money to “a “bucket of water in Lake Tahoe,” let us not forget that these are the very same people who, but mere weeks ago, unanimously voted to deny emergency funding to the Del Norte, Siskiyou, and Mono Superior Courts, which collectively had asked for the paltry sum of $454,000 to just keep their doors open.
Mirror, mirror
One the wall,
Who is the biggest hypocrite of them all?
Why you Queen Feckless.
You are, and remain by far,
The biggest hypocrite of them all.
Still serving themselves to the detriment of all Californians.
Long live the ACJ
JusticeCalifornia
January 13, 2015
The gambling barmaid never has been, and is not now, qualified to lead the branch. She needs to resign to “spend more time with her family” or whatever before she does further damage to the branch.
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT NOW. Does she?
George had the grace to get out when it was over for him. It is now over for her.
Her “administration” has failed spectacularly. Down in flames. Gone.
unionman575
January 13, 2015
Recall Tani Organizing Committee (RTOC)
A Judicial Council Watcher public accountability project
https://recalltani.wordpress.com/
Lando
January 13, 2015
All the Alliance did was to stand up and speak the truth. After all isn’t that what our branch represents, the search for the truth. The truth would have never come out had not the legislature authorized the Alliance’s proposed audits of CCMS and the AOC. Incredibly Ron George did all he could to block the CCMS audit including having J Bruiners appear and argue the audit was unnecessary because CCMS worked. Really ? The current CJ had J Scotland make the pitch that everything was being fixed so the AOC audit was unnecessary. Really? Thus branch leadership at the highest levels didn’t want to see the truth, and now we know why. The exposed waste of over 800 million dollars cannot be ignored. Claiming that everything has been fixed doesn’t ring true. Appointing J Miller to oversee a process to study the Auditor’s findings lacks all credibility as Miller is the second highest ranking judicial officer on the very same Judicial Council that allowed all these problems to occur. To claim that all this waste and bloat and fiscal irresponsibility is like a drop in the bucket compared to the size of Lake Tahoe shows just exactly how out of touch and arrogant some of the 455 Golden Gate insiders are. Enough is really enough. Ron George and the current CJ have failed. We need to start over. This time let’s do it right by running our branch like a democracy that cares about the truth and the people we serve and the great employees that make the courts work every day. Let’s do it right by being honest and accepting responsibility for things that aren’t working. Let’s do it right by ending the the expensive and unnecessary trappings of office such as CHP rides and inflated salaries and retirement benefits. Let’s do it right by electing the Judicial Council and ending the now crumbled legacy of the house that Ron George built.
unionman575
January 14, 2015
Today’s LA Times Death Star editorial:
Profligacy at the state’s Judicial Council?
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-courts-spending-audit-california-20150114-story.html
unionman575
January 14, 2015
http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x1593015666/LOIS-HENRY-Another-study-points-to-Judicial-Council-wrongs
LOIS HENRY: Another study points to Judicial Council wrongs
By LOIS HENRY, The Bakersfield Californian lhenry@bakersfield.com
The Legislature needs to get off its duff and take back spending authority from the Judicial Council.
Those guys might be really smart about legal stuff but, frankly, they don’t know the pointy end of a pencil when it comes to keeping tabs on the public’s money.
Don’t know what the Judicial Council is and don’t think it affects you? Wrong.
The Judicial Council, headed by the California Supreme Court Chief Justice, makes policy recommendations for court operations.
Its staff, formerly known as the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), doles out the funding for local court operations.
Because of the Judicial Council’s inept oversight, Kern County has had to close courts, cut staff and make any trip to the courthouse that much more onerous for the public.
The Lake Isabella court is closed. As an aside, there’s an effort afoot to try to get volunteer judges, bailiffs and clerks to at least open that court two days a week.
The Taft court is only open one day a week.
All Kern courts close at 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon on Fridays.
If you have a family law case, you have to pay for your own court reporter. A civil case takes eons to get on the docket.
Even something as simple as looking up case files now costs the public $15 per case.
Meanwhile, the Judicial Council staff spent nearly half a billion dollars on a failed computer system despite warnings early on that the thing wouldn’t work.
Its 700 employees enjoy average salaries of about $80,000.
It rents expensive offices in San Francisco and maintains a fleet of vehicles for unknown reasons, just to name a few of the more galling examples of waste.
Yet another report came out just last week from the California State Auditor showing how the Judicial Council staff wasted hundreds of millions of dollars that could have been used for local courts.
This was the fourth such report since 2011.
😉
In fact, the overspending, mismanagement and lack of oversight are such old news, I skimmed that part and took more notice of the State Auditor’s frustration with the Judicial Council’s responses to its findings.
Especially telling was the State Auditor’s dismissal of Judicial Council Administrative Director Martin Hoshino’s pledge to review the auditor’s recommendations and present them to the board of the Judicial Council.
“We are concerned that the AOC’s assertion that it will review its current policies … — without proposing a specific plan — suggests meaningful change will not occur,” the State Auditor writes in response.
Considering no meaningful change occurred after the first three reports (two from internal committees), I’d say the State Auditor is right.
Until the Legislature threatens to take back trial court funding, which was consolidated under the Judicial Council about 15 years ago, the council has zero incentive to better mind its books.
Last spring California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye lamented how state cutbacks had impaired local courts.
She claimed “extreme humiliation and embarrassment” when she learned Kings County Superior Court had resorted to holding a garage sale to raise money.
Really?
The first report outlining Judicial Council waste/mismanagement came out in 2011, about a month after Cantil-Sakauye became chief justice.
Three years passed and, basically, nothing. The Judicial Council, under Cantil-Sakauye, made ministerial changes, but nothing substantive, according to the State Auditor.
Yes, the state continued to cut court funding in that time. But the Judicial Council let that fall on trial courts without sharing the pain.
For Kern, that meant about a $20 million cut over four years.
Had Judicial Council staff funding been more tightly controlled, local court services likely would not have been curtailed so drastically.
To add salt to the wound, the State Auditor found Judicial Council staff spent trial court funding on its own operations — employee travel, legal services for its failed computer project, consultants, etc. — instead of spending that money out of its own pot, as required by law.
So, Cantil-Sakauye’s supposed concern for the public’s access to its courts strikes me as nothing more than crocodile tears. She’s had three years to make changes and she has failed.
Time to try something else. A group of judges, the Alliance of California Judges, was formed in 2009 to bring attention to the appalling waste members were seeing.
The group has a bill that would put trial court funding in the hands of a commission consisting of elected trial judges and move the staff responsible for doling out the money to Sacramento.
I like that on a lot of fronts.
It puts publicly elected people in charge of public money (Judicial Council board members are appointed not elected) and it moves the whole shebang to a much more affordable city where the public’s representatives, the Legislature, can keep a better eye on it.
This is the public’s justice system. We need to get a hold of it — now.
That or we could sit around and wait for another audit that — gasp! — shows waste and mismanagement while local courts continue to stick Band-Aids on yet another 1,000 cuts.
Contact Californian columnist Lois Henry at 395-7373 or lhenry@bakersfield.com. Her work appears on Sundays and Wednesdays; the views expressed are her own.
JusticeCalifornia
January 14, 2015
That article pretty much says it all. Great writing, Lois Henry.
“To add salt to the wound, the State Auditor found Judicial Council staff spent trial court funding on its own operations — employee travel, legal services for its failed computer project, consultants, etc. — instead of spending that money out of its own pot, as required by law. So, Cantil-Sakauye’s supposed concern for the public’s access to its courts strikes me as nothing more than crocodile tears. She’s had three years to make changes and she has failed.”
Four years ago Sakauye was defiantly defending Vickrey and CCMS, and calling the ACJ “that group”, while confessing that she had to count seats to figure out where she was sitting (in the middle) on the Supreme Court.
The handwriting was on the wall.
Sakauye has been crying poormouth and demanding more money while raiding court funds to pay for her Judicial Council excesses.
The verdict has been in for a long time. Now it is headline news.
“She has failed”.
The Chief Justice and Judicial Council of the biggest judiciary in the world should inspire respect, trust, and confidence. Instead they have earned widespread DISGUST.
Sakauye needs to resign. So do her appointed Judicial Council members, starting with Miller. They need to call an emergency meeting and figure out how to transition out quickly but gracefully.
unionman575
January 14, 2015
Criminal Law Advisory Committee
January 23, 2015 Meeting (Closed)
😉
10:00 a.m.
http://www.courts.ca.gov/clac.htm
unionman575
January 14, 2015
Workload Assessment Advisory Committee
January 21, 2015 Meeting (Teleconference)
12:15 to 1:30 p.m.
Public Call-in Number: 1-877-820-7831
Passcode 5197241# (Listen only)
😉
Guest
January 14, 2015
Well let’s hope the chief appoints David Yamasaki to a committee to look into this.
JusticeCalifornia
January 14, 2015
LOL. With his hefty salary and Sakauye “favored son” status, I am confident that a Yamasaki committee report would be something the state auditor and multiple others would have a field day with.
Yamasaki is a target example for abuse of judicial branch power and money.
So is Kim Turner.
So is Kiri Torre.
So is Mike Roddy.
These four have all contributed substantially to the current failed “top leadership” state of affairs.
Trial courts paying their corrupt minions a fortune to cover for their sins should pay attention to what is happening at the highest levels of the branch.
unionman575
January 14, 2015
Yamasaki
Position Detail Sup Court Chief Exec Officer
Superior Court: Santa Clara County Superior Court
Department: Executive Administration
County: Santa Clara
Year: 2013
This employee is considered to be a Judicial employee.
$243,603 total wages
😉
$221,657 regular pay
$0 overtime pay
$14,746 lump-sum pay
$7,200 other pay
$225,528 – $225,528 regular pay range for classification
$80,530 total retirement & health cost
$37,683 defined benefit plan
$19,198 employee’s ret. cost covered
$0 deferred compensation
$23,649 health/dental/vision
http://publicpay.ca.gov/
Guest
January 15, 2015
If you look at the progress the branch has made since Yamasaki has been on all these committees and on the council, he is worth every penny he, said no one, ever.
unionman575
January 14, 2015
Meanwhile back at the Death Star Ranch:
http://www.courts.ca.gov/28344.htm
The Commission on the Future of California’s Court System Kick-Off Meeting Room Block,
RFP# CRS EG 133
😉
The Judicial Council of California, Conference Services Unit seeks proposals from hotels in San Francisco, California.
Proposals must be received by END OF BUSINESS DAY Pacific Time, Wednesday, January
21, 2015
Hard copy proposals must be delivered to:
Judicial Council of California
Attn: 5th Floor Receptionist, RFP No. CRS EG 133
455 Golden Gate Avenue, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102-3688
Further information regarding this solicitation is set forth in Request for Proposals (RFP) No. CRS EG 133
Delilah
January 15, 2015
So now they need to rent a block of SF hotel rooms/meals/facilities for two days for this “kick-off” meeting about the Future of CA Courts? They are going to throw more money at solving the problem of how to stop wasting money? It’s just going to be another good time with cronies and lackeys yuck-yucking it up. Take a look at the second attachment. So people are still entering into contracts with the Administrative Office of the Courts. I thought there was no such thing. What a constant, never-ending load of BS.
Judicial Council Watcher
January 15, 2015
~just laughs~
Proof positive that the changes declared by the judicial council were cosmetic in nature and that absolutely nothing has changed.
unionman575
January 14, 2015
And now back to real life in our beleaguered trial courts…
http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/68106-butte-20141230.pdf
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF BUTTE
***PUBLIC NOTICE***
PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE §68106
AND CALIFORNIA RULE OF COURT 10.620
12/31/2014
NOTICE OF CLOSURE OF CHICO COURTHOUSE EFFECTIVE MARCH 20, 2015
Pursuant to the December 19th, 2014, decision of the Board of Judges for the Superior Court of California, County of Butte, effective as of the close of business on Friday, March 20th, 2015, the Chico Courthouse, located at 655 Oleander Avenue, Chico, will be closed to the public permanently. A Request for Public Input on this decision was previously posted in accordance with Rule of Court 10.620(e). No public input was received.
All services previously offered at the Chico Courthouse will be available at the new North Butte County Courthouse, located at 1775 Concord Avenue in Chico. The North Butte County Courthouse will be opening to the public beginning Monday, March 23rd, 2015, and will have office hours of 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, excluding Holidays.
😉
The North Butte County Courthouse is being constructed as part of the State Judicial Branch master facilities plan, and is fully funded via Senate Bill 1407, which established a dedicated revenue stream for Court facilities projects. This revenue stream is 100% funded by fees imposed on Civil case filings and Criminal convictions.
Butte County Superior Court services may also be accessed by phone at (530) 532-7002 or at the Butte County Courthouse located at 1 Court Street, Oroville, California. Information and services are also available on our public website at http://www.buttecourt.ca.gov.
The Chico Courthouse will remain open during its regularly scheduled business hours
The Chico Courthouse will remain open during its regularly scheduled business hours, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, through March 20, 2015.
Any written comments related to this Notice should be directed to:
Superior Court of California, County of Butte
Office of Administration
1 Court Street
Oroville, CA 95965
ONE COURT STREET λ OROVILLE, CA 95965 λ (530) 532-7013
unionman575
January 14, 2015
http://www.courts.ca.gov/partners/documents/County_Budget_Snapshot_Butte_2014.pdf
Superior Court of California
County of Butte
BUDGET SNAPSHOT
Auntie Bureaucrat
January 15, 2015
I’m a longtime lurker who can remain silent no more. Thankfully, the unwashed masses are starting to sit up and take notice. I think the rank and file up and down the state will soon be standing with JCW and ACJ. Excellent work. I appreciate your dedication and tenacity. Maybe I’m an optomist, but I think the house of cards is beginning to topple. Time to restore honesty and integrity to the judicial branch. Keep fighting the good fight.
Judicial Council Watcher
January 16, 2015
Thank you for your participation and welcome to jcw!
Santa, Tooth Fairies Unicorns and California Court Justice
January 21, 2015
I believe the Alliance of California Judges has hit the nail on the head and its time to drain the barrel and introduce some new apples. Stanford Psycologist Dr Philip Zimbardo discusses heroes… I hope the founders of the ACJ continue to follow this concept http://youtu.be/OsFEV35tWsg?t=18m50s