California Assembly Budget Committee Hearing Reveals Improper Collaboration Between Chief Justice and Commission on Judicial Performance, Other Significant CJP Problems

In this video clip, Commission on Judicial Performance whistleblower and court reform advocate Joe Sweeney testifies at a California Assembly Budget Committee hearing on March 28, 2016. The commission is solely responsible for oversight and accountability of judges in the state. 

Several days before the hearing, Sweeney's court modernization and reform organization, Court Reform LLC, released a 78-page report which raised questions about CJP judicial misconduct statistical data and how the agency spends taxpayer funds. 

The report, Why a Spotlight must be put on the Commission on Judicial Performance, also charged that CJP operations are shielded by an excessive and unprecedented level of secrecy for a government agency. In this four minute video, Sweeney explains to the committee the methodology and results of Court Reform LLC's six month investigation into the policies and practices of the CJP.

Government Whistleblowers Attribute Statewide Court Corruption Problems to Tani Cantil-Sakauye Judicial Council Leadership

California court watchdog groups charge that the leadership of the state Judicial Council bears primary responsibility for a string of court scandals compiled in this video from the California Courts News YouTube Channel. An ABC News 10 investigation into misuse of the California Highway Patrol by the chief justice as a taxi and shopping service is included. 

Indifference and incompetence by Judicial Council Chair Tani Cantil-Sakauye and senior management at the agency has resulted in an epidemic of court corruption in California, including a Los Angeles County court clerk accused of stealing $6,000 from people filing name changes, a case fixing scheme uncovered by the FBI in Orange County, and a massive, statewide traffic courts scandal. 

Supreme Court Chief Justice Linked to Sacramento Superior Court Corruption Cover Up

Whistleblowers Blame Commission on Judicial Performance Inaction on Interference by Tani Cantil-Sakauye 

Sacramento County Judge Matthew Gary ordered
attorney fee sanctions against an indigent, disabled
pro per based on the litigant's "body language."

The appellate brief excerpt embedded at the bottom of this post recounts one instance of Sacramento Superior Court Judge Matthew Gary's alleged misconduct in the high profile Susan Ferris case, in connection with an illegal attorney fee sanctions order. 

The appeal in the case is pending at the controversial 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento.

The proceedings have been reported by the Sacramento Bee, and are being closely watched by court reform advocates. Interest in the case and family court corruption in Sacramento County on social media, YouTube, and Vimeo has reached viral levels among family court reform watchdogs.

The embedded document package also includes the court reporter transcript from a hearing in the case recording that Gary ordered Ferris to pay $2,500 to the opposing attorney, Timothy Zeff, based on Ferris' "body language." 

Zeff's partner, Scott Buchanan, is a part-time judge in the same court. Court records indicate the conflict of interest was not disclosed as required by state law. 

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Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye Immunizes Former Coworkers from Commission on Judicial Performance Oversight, Charge Watchdogs

Despite Documented Ethics Violations, Sacramento County Judges Maintain Pristine Records with Commission on Judicial Performance

Sacramento County Family Court watchdogs assert that
JudgeThadd Blizzard punished court reform activist Robert
Saunders for his 1st Amendment-protected protest activities.  

A leaked court reporter transcript obtained by California Supreme Court News reveals that Sacramento County Judge Thadd Blizzard last November retroactively endorsed an unlawful out-of-state "move away" and child abduction at the request of local judge pro tem attorney Richard Sokol. 

The unprecedented ruling went against San Francisco constitutional law attorney Archibald Cunningham, who the transcript reflects was dumbfounded by the decision. The complete transcript is embedded at the end of this post.  

The bizarre chain-of-events began in June 2013 after Cunningham's pro bono client, Robert Saunders, filed paperwork seeking child visitation under an existing temporary custody order. After the visitation paperwork was lodged, Sokol's client, April Berger, abruptly moved to Hawaii with the parents' twin daughters. Berger did not obtain court permission prior to the move.  

Under state law, a parent may not take children and relocate out-of-state without court approval before the move, especially under a temporary custody order. A parent seeking to relocate must by law first seek court approval for the move, and "the noncustodial parent still has standing to oppose the relocation" in court, according to California Practice Guide: Family Law, the gold standard family law legal reference used by judges and attorneys. 

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