Award winning journalists have arrived on the scene to expose issues involving California Judges acting in the state's family court cases. An article published on Sunday October 16 2016 in the Eastbay Times by award winning investigative journalists Thomas Peele and Nate Gartrell may have opened the floodgates as mainstream media exposes the grave injustices found in California's family court cases.
For decades family courts have faced criticism from people trapped in divorces who describe unfair support orders, legal alienation from their children and outright dismissal of property and First Amendment Rights . Courts dismiss those who complain as disgruntled litigants, but the complaints show something far more sinister. Sacramento County was the first to speak up about family court matters - and investigative reporters, bloggers, activists and social media specialists began to expose the darker side of family court judges and proceedings. Ultimately, many of the most vocal critics were involved in the production of Divorce Corp, a popular, Netflix documentary. Sadly, many parents featured in the film never fully recovered from the losses the family courts had imposed in what should have been routine and equitable divorce cases. Most egregious is the blatant use of judicial immunity that has allowed family court judges the power and ability to jail parents for missing support payments, or for posting online comments critical of a former spouse, family courts, judges or lawyers. People have lost their children, their property and their freedom for speaking up during family court proceedings and courts appear willing to dismiss divorce litigant's First Amendment Rights as a matter of routine. Additionally many judges are reported to be privately investigating people speaking up against them, and then using the system to retaliate and silence their critics. Judicial retaliation against those who speak out is outrageous, and the most blatant involves the divorce case of Joe Sweeney, in Contra Costa County. After experiencing a rather unfair divorce proceeding, Joe formed Court Reform, LLC. In early 2016 Court Reform LLC published a report critical of the Commission of Judicial Performance, the state agency that is supposed to address judicial misconduct to protect citizens involved in legal matters. Many say Joe Sweeney's report was "singlehandedly" responsible for causing the state legislature to order an audit of the CJP, for the first time in 50 years. For Joe's work aimed at protecting Californians embroiled in divorces, Judge Mills, of Contra Costa County, used blatant bias , retaliation and even violation of the law, to put Joe in jail. Judge Mills was able to abuse his power by dressing up a contempt order that blamed Joe for posting publically available information online during a divorce proceeding. Judge Austin, Contra Costa County's presiding judge had plenty of complaints and warnings against Judge Mills before Joe was jailed, and Judge Austin ignored those complaints, in violation of his own obligation to California's Judicial Code of Ethics. Insiders say Judge Austin acted to make sure a "message " was sent to Joe and other whistleblowers. The DA in Contra Costa County will now have to decide if he will break with rank and finally begin to investigate complaints filed against judges arising from family law cases. Media exposure and public outrage may assist him in that decision. Highly experienced family lawyers have also been speaking out over the misconduct of their peers , and judges . Most lawyers and judges believe misconduct serves to poison the well that is intended to provide citizens with a fair legal system, but few lawyers have felt free to speak out , or file the complaints necessary to stop the toxic behavior, despite rules and laws that require them to do just that. Floyd Abrams, one of the country's foremost First Amendment experts commented for the article written by Peele and Gartrell. Abrams clearly recognizes the dangers that exist when free speech and right to petition are quashed in family law cases, where the most fundamental rights of individuals reside. The East Bay Times article clearly shows free speech experts and academics, including Martin Garbus, understand the impact on everyday citizens when family courts restrict the most fundamental of rights. In Contra Costa County Joe Sweeney went to jail for speaking up . In Santa Clara County Michael Lazarin lost the right to say his own child's name after he reported legal alienation during his custody case and Susan Bassi was evicted from two homes she had owned for over twenty years, after she reported two highly regarded family law attorneys, Nat Hales and Brad Baugh, to the State Bar and two judges, Mary Ann Grilli and James Towery , to the Santa Clara County presiding judge, Rise Pichon, who did nothing about the judges clearly retaliating in a divorce case. Many family court cases involving violations of the First Amendment have worked their way up to the court of appeals, but social media has worked them out to the public's attention faster. Social media assisted by public outrage over judge rulings , including the ruling of Judge Persky, in the Stanford rape case, has caused the public to take note, and demand change. Judges are worried. At the annual meeting for the Judges' Association, insiders report that the San Diego late summer meeting filled corridors and hallways with side meetings where judges expressed concern that their images are being blasted throughout social media, forcing their judicial rulings to be more widely scrutinized where such scrutiny is outside the control and protection of the court system, On Monday, October 17, 2016 the biological father of Audrie Pott will address his First Amendment Rights in yet another Santa Clara County Courtroom. The county, still reeling from the attention brought during the Stanford rape case, combined with the issues now being exposed in Contra Costa County, is reported to be ground zero for an investigation on judicial misconduct. As for rats bailing from the sinking court ship, citizens in Santa Clara County are well aware that the timing of Court CEO David Yamasaki's departure from the county's highest court management positon , is a bit more suspect , than routine. Yamasaki may be bailing as rumors related to misappropriation of state funds, and conduct involving the reporting of good lawyers to the State Bar, in an effort to protect misconduct of judges, is about to be exposed.
20 Comments
Davida Sanchez
10/16/2016 07:25:23 pm
We need Family Court REFORM and accountability across our nation. It is way overdue for wrongs to be righted!
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diana c
10/17/2016 09:38:51 am
I am a victim of Solano County County Family court corruption. Judge Christine Carringer was appointed by Jerry Brown and is actually from Contra Costa county and many Conta Costa attorneys are moving to Solano county. I believe that the reason for this shift is because of the spotlight and the scrutiny Contra Costa is under so they have to find a new place/county to continue their corruption. Judge Christine Carringer has had domestic violence restraining orders filed against her and two DUI's and still sits on the bench ruining the lives of families and children. Daniel Cantrell and Justine Kirk Tabayoyon are just a few of the attorneys have migrated from Contra Costa County to Solano and appear to have ties to Judge Carringer and her ongiong corruption in family law cases.
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disgusted
10/17/2016 04:32:20 pm
Interesting. I actually consulted with a Solano County attorney regarding my mother's probate case in Contra Costa because I knew the venue should be changed but would never be. He was in favor of me holding the court accountable for violating due process and my civil rights. He actually thought the courthouse should be helping me as a proper beneficiary with ADA eligibility. I'm not surprised. A lot of Contra Costa County attorneys are pivoting out from the center of evil as if that will save their sorry souls or corrupt careers.
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DJ McCaferty
10/17/2016 07:37:27 pm
Why are we not holding Jerry Brown for appointing all this sleaze to our family courts?
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disgusted
10/17/2016 08:41:12 pm
Yeah, I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall when he had an audience with the Pope. Our government, at all levels, is a mockery of a sham. Rape, Illuminati Style 10/18/2016 07:15:13 am
Funny you should mention Gov. Brown. He appointed James Towery to Santa Clara Family Courts after he knew the State Bar had run him out on ethics issues. And after everyone knew him to have cheated and lied himself to three wives, one who worked in the DAs office and one who became a federal bankruptcy judge. One might wonder why those women weren't speaking up to protect other women in Judge Towery's courtroom. 7/10/2017 08:00:36 am
My daughter just saw carringer and she is a bad judge ,my 2 yr old grandsons life is in danger because she is allowing the father to take him alone and he is on drugs and has been abusive to my my daughter for yrs and doesnt care about his son at all. He only wants his son to hurt my daughter. I fear he will snap on my grandson because he is very controling and he cant control my grandson because he is afraid of him he has never been alone with him. This judge didnt listen to my daughter she only listen to the fathers lies,my mom was there and got kicked out of the court room because this judge was so bad. He takes my grandson tomorrow night tues i dont know what to do to stop him from taking him . My grandsons life is in fanger and i fear he might be hurt or death.
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S
7/10/2017 05:46:22 pm
This is horrific and is exactly Carringer' pattern. She calls women liars even when there is plenty of evidence to substantiate abuse. She then rips these babies from their mothers and gives them to the abusers. It's horrific!!! We are going to launch a recall to remove her from the bench. Please join our efforts.
lauren
8/15/2017 06:30:16 pm
I to had my babies ripped from me, from carringer where is the info to get her recalled I hate this women and she needs to be off the bench asap 8/16/2017 09:40:47 pm
This is horrifying! Please join us on Facebook at Recall Judge Carringer. The website has info as well: www.recallcarringer.com. She will be stopped!
carmel
8/21/2017 11:48:09 am
Correct Justine Kirk Tabayoyon actually had a office in fairfield where i met with him. after he took my case and money, he was not be found. he got his assistant to be in touch with me. before my case was heard he dropped me. then i had pamela jones from contra consta, same thing happened, then mrich lofty. these attorneys were just there to disturb the process and create a bigger problem, that is the name of the game. they slipped up several times as they signed to be removed from my case without any reason, and yet documents in my file was filed by them after they left me. this a tactic to stop us and take away our 1st amendment rights. a game played and incentives for these attorneys. justin, then sudently have lots of cases representing the city and county of san francisco employees (my ex) a clear violation. but that seems to be how they get incentives. Christine was appointed by jerry brown, all the business for san francisco employees to cover up corruption within the city and county of San Francisco is being blocked by the attorneys. my case had no children, but it was derailed and suppressed because if some monkey business in the city and county of San Francisco. so weird all i wanted was a divorce and we both my ex and i agreed to use a paralegal. our divorce case was hijacked by the Judge and Attorneys.
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Worried Mom
11/16/2017 11:10:36 am
This is a serious problem in Butte County as well. Corrupt lawyers and judges seem to be the norm in California Family Courts. I have been told that Butte County has one of the highest rates of domestic violence victims not receiving any justice of any kind. The abusers keep getting more and more time with child(ren) and the victims cannot even receive legal help because the only service in Butte County is Catalyst, which keeps losing funding. The Family Courts need to be held accountable. 10/18/2016 07:11:57 am
It's not just the family courts of CA that are rewarding criminal behavior of preferred attorneys. I've been trying to get the United States Department of Justice to prosecute six justices in the 4th/1st appellate court. I believe one must go a little farther up the food chain from the judges themselves to stop the rampant case-fixings which occur all to often in the California judicial system. If you'd like to help me hold the appellate justices accountable, see link above. Even $10 of help would be sincerely appreciated.
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disgusted
8/24/2017 02:24:17 am
Wow. Same scam. My ex's real estate daughter going to work to defend CCC employees(mob). Shameless fraudsters. Conflicts intentionally created. It's blatant conspiracy. Where is the FBI?!
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Mari-Lynne Earls
12/12/2016 09:49:08 am
Chaker v Mateo (2012) Cal App. 4th; publishing criticisms of spouses or judges online, as long as it satisfied 'issue of public interest' is protected speech. Judicial retaliation is implicitly barred by this opinion. Anyone need to dump an evaluator; Irmo Adams Cal App. 4th (Oct 2012) custody eval. bias is ground for removal per Ev. Code 730. Your welcome.
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disgusted
12/12/2016 10:53:43 am
!
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Solano Corruption
5/27/2017 10:59:29 pm
http://www.thereporter.com/article/NG/20170502/NEWS/170509972
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Disgusted
11/21/2017 10:22:40 am
Litigated in Butte County from 1980(beaten at 7 1/2 months pregnant), until 2001 for Child Support Mod. and DV/custody related issues in between. The county is a haven which protects AND HIRES(!) PERPETRATORS. The most misogynistic areas in California(stay outta Duffy's!). How I accomplished victory in those courts was being fierce, stalwart and organized, well-dressed, not afraid of bully-lawyers(or to fire conniving ones)and I came witnessed-up(!). It drains ones lifeblood, the place is so corrupt and players from those days(lawyers and other Haters) have infiltrated Contra Costa County and are still vexing me in retaliation via CCC courthouse. Stay strong, speak your truth/document everything. Call C.L.I.C.
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Victim of Court System
3/16/2018 11:28:58 am
This is an issue all over California. Judges are not reading cases, they are not allowing presenting hard evidence, they protecting parent abusers, they are running for offices unopposed and they can do whatever they can. This needs to stop! Stay Strong!
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