Judge James Towery Santa Clara County 2018 Family Court Judge of the Year - Worst Family Court Judge in Silicon Valley

FCAC Sunday Satire: The votes are in and counted. Family court victims from throughout Silicon Valley have named James Towery the worst family court judge in 2018. Towery won for bias against pro per litigants who can't afford a lawyer, cronyism with all his lawyer buddies, and failure to follow state law, including the California Family Code and Code of Judicial Ethics.

Congratulations Jim! Your award will be presented by Santa Clara County Presiding Judge Deborah Ryan, and Assistant Presiding Judge Ted Zayner. The Family Court Accountability Coalition has commissioned a portrait to be presented at the awards banquet. We hope the judge will hang the portrait in his courtroom. A photo of the portrait is below. 

Judge James Towery will receive his [worst] Judge of the Year Award 2018 from Santa Clara County Presiding Judge Deborah Ryan and Assistant Presiding Judge Theodore Zayner. 

17 Years Later, Sacramento County Family Court Problems Persist - Whistleblowers Allege Court Operates as Racketeering Enterprise

The report embedded with this post is by investigative reporter and attorney Karen Winner, and is provided by the California Protective Parents Association. Court watchdogs assert that the problems highlighted 17 years ago in this 2000 report have not been corrected.

A subsequent audit by the California State Auditor found additional problems, many of which the court refused to fix, according to follow up reports from State Auditor Elaine Howle.

Whistleblowers allege that the Sacramento Family Court system continues to operate as what amounts to a racketeering enterprise which deprives the public of the federally protected right to honest government services.

Santa Clara County Family Court Controversy Continues Court History of Scandal: Judge-Attorney Cronyism Still To Blame, Say Whistleblowers

FBI probes $17 million missing from Santa Clara County trusts:

Court whistleblowers allege that Presiding Judge Patricia Lucas and 6th District 
Court of Appeal Justice Conrad Rushing ultimately are responsible for systemic
 family court judge misconduct that resembles prior scandals in the same court. 

County judges must impose tighter rules for managing vulnerable residents' estates:

Santa Clara judge reconsiders his early ruling on a trustee excessive fee case: 

Santa Clara County Judge Mary Ann Grilli Controversy: Socioeconomic, Pro Per Bias Alleged by Family Court Whistleblowers

Santa Clara County Superior Court whistleblowers allege that many wealthy judges convey explicit socioeconomic and pro per bias against indigent, disabled and financially disadvantaged litigants. 

A Santa Clara County government whistleblower has leaked the Statement of Economic Interests financial disclosure data for controversial family law Judge Mary Ann Grilli. The records reveal that Grilli enjoys a net worth substantially above seven figures. The 30-page document, embedded at the end of this article, shows a well diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, as well as an IRA and a revocable trust. 

Indigent, disabled and financially disadvantaged "pro per" litigants who can't afford counsel report that Grilli routinely exhibits socioeconomic and pro per bias, and favoritism towards lawyers. Court dockets and records from cases reviewed by the Family Court Accountability Coalition indicate that Grilli also often disregards "level-playing field" laws that mandate both parties in a divorce be represented by counsel where community property and assets are sufficient.

Appellate Justice Cole Blease Cover Up: Dismisses Appeal Documenting Serial Misconduct by Trial Court Judge

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Matthew J. Gary has, again, escaped accountability for serial misconduct against self-represented litigants who can't afford to hire an attorney. Last week, 3rd District Court of Appeal Justice Coleman Blease dismissed an appeal documenting criminal conduct by Gary. Gary is one of the most incompetent and corrupt judges in California.

Justice Cole Blease has a storied history of helping conceal and cover up misconduct
by trial court judges and attorneys. Blease has repeatedly violated California
Code of Judicial Ethics canons 3D(1) and (2), which require all judges to
report attorney and judge misconduct.

The order issued by Blease is embedded at the bottom of this post. Additional documents from the case are curated at the Justice Cole Blease Controversy Scribd collection.

Sacramento Judge Thadd Blizzard Aids & Abets Criminal Child Abduction, Blocks Witness Subpoenas for Judge Pro Tem Attorney Richard Sokol

Leaked Court Reporter Transcript Catches Sacramento Judge Authorizing Criminal Child Abduction for Client of Judge Pro Tem Lawyer 

Hon. Thadd A. Blizzard

Hon. Thadd A. Blizzard is memorialized in this court reporter transcript approving a criminal child abduction and blocking witness subpoenas for the benefit of Sacramento Family Court judge pro tem attorney Richard Sokol. As the family law hearing transcript records, opposing attorney Archibald Cunningham of San Francisco was stunned by the judge's acquiesce to a clearly illegal, out-of-state move away in which the facts were not disputed. 

Sacramento Family Court has an established track record of collusion between full-time judges and judge pro tem attorneys who operate the settlement conference program on behalf of the court. Court watchdogs have documented that the temporary judges are compensated with favorable rulings and other perks when representing clients in the same court. 

For the full article, and to view the complete court reporter transcript from the controversial hearing, click Read more >> below...