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.

Sacramento Family Law Court Protest: Hon. Robert C. Hight - Hon. James M. Mize - Hon. Peter J. McBrien

Sacramento Family Court Protest Against Corruption and Judge Peter McBrien - Kept in Office by Testimony from Judges Robert Hight and James Mize 

From the documentary film Divorce Corp. 

Sacramento Family Law Court Protest - Judicial Council of California - California Supreme Court - CJP Victoria Henley from Sacramento Family Court News on Vimeo.

Sacramento Family Court reform activists conduct a demonstration in this clip from the documentary Divorce Corp. Among other issues, the demonstration raised awareness of family court corruption and the failure of the Commission on Judicial Performance to remove Judge Peter McBrien from the bench after his second misconduct prosecution by the CJP. Defense character witness testimony on McBrien's behalf by Sacramento Judges Robert Hight and James Mize was cited by the CJP as a mitigating factor which reduced McBrien's punishment and allowed him to remain on the bench.

For the full article, click Read more >> below...

Epic FAIL: McGeorge Law School Professor John E.B. Myers Attributes Lack of Family Court Justice to Judicial Council Forms

Sacramento Judge James Mize Apologist Attempts Diversion from Divorce Corp Documentary Scandal

Special Guest Editorial: Opinion by Cathy Cohen


McGeorge School of Law Professor John Myers blames
family court injustice on too many Judicial Council forms.

In a laughably inaccurate editorial published by the Sacramento Bee, McGeorge School of Law family law professor John E.B. Myers redefined the meaning of the out-of-touch, ivory tower academic. Among other clueless assertions, Myers made the epic LOL, demonstrably false claim that:

“Sacramento’s family court, under the wise leadership of Judge James Mize, serves the community well.”

Family court watchdogs have collected and catalogued overwhelming evidence that Judge Mize provides anything but “wise leadership,” and that the court – which operates essentially as an organized, criminal enterprise – serves only a select, exclusive group of judge pro tem lawyers. The community at large, and especially those financially disadvantaged family court users without an attorney, are subjected to second-class status under an illegal two-track system of justice. 

Sacramento Family Law Firm Woodruff, O'Hair & Posner Inc. Facing $1 Million Legal Malpractice Claim by Former Client

Sacramento Divorce Lawyer D. Thomas Woodruff and Woodruff, O'Hair, Posner and Salinger Sued by Former Client for Over One Million Dollars in Malpractice Case

From Sacramento Family Court News: 

Nationally recognized legal malpractice attorney Edward Freidberg last week filed a first amended complaint in a malpractice lawsuit alleging more than $1 million in damages against well known Sacramento family law firm Woodruff, O'Hair & Posner, Inc., and firm partner D. Thomas Woodruff. The alleged malpractice occurred in 2001 and the firm is now known as Woodruff, O'Hair, Posner & Salinger. Partners Tom Woodruff, Bob O'Hair, Jeff Posner and Paula Salinger have been involved in a number of other controversies, including filing counterfeit court documents, attempting to obtain a final dissolution judgment while an appeal in the same case was pending, filing documents not in compliance with state law, and, according to family court watchdogs, collusion with family court judges.

For the complete article at Sacramento Family Court News, click here. 

Woodruff, O'Hair & Posner, Inc. Sued for Legal Malpractice in Lawsuit Alleging Over $1 Million Damages: D.... by Sacramento Family Court News

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...

Sacramento Judge Jaime R. Roman Issues Illegal Blanket Order Exempting Government From State Court Rule in Child Support Cases

Judge Jaime Roman (L) with Judge Matthew Gary.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jaime Roman last month issued an illegal, standing order exempting government attorneys from state court rule requirements in child support cases. 

Roman authorized an unlawful blanket order applicable to all child support cases in Sacramento County Superior Court where the Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is directed by the court to prepare the proposed order after hearing.

To benefit the government, the order eliminates the order after hearing notice and approval requirements of Cal. Rules of Court rule 5.125. The rule specifies that modifications to the rule can only be made when appropriate to specific cases, not all cases on a blanket basis. 

The order also was issued more than a month before the rule takes effect. Both the order and rule 5.125 appear below. Judge Roman has been involved in a number of additional controversies reported by Sacramento Family Court News.   

Roman's unilateral action exceeds his authority and violates several sections of the California Code of Judicial Ethics, according to past judge misconduct prosecutions by the Commission on Judicial Performance. Among other ethical implications, providing preferential treatment to the government creates an impermissible two-track system of justice, according to the CJP. 

Roman has worked for the government most of his career, including eleven years as a Solano County prosecutor. 

Judge Jaime Roman Issues Illegal Blanket Order for Government Waiving Court Rule Requirements in Child Supp... by Sacramento Family Court News

Sacramento Family Law Firm Woodruff, O'Hair, Posner & Salinger Inc Sued for $1 Million in Legal Malpractice Case

Divorce Attorney D. Thomas Woodruff and Firm Woodruff, O'Hair & Posner Accused of Over One Million Dollar Loss In Legal Malpractice Lawsuit

A prominent Sacramento family law firm is being sued for more than $1 million in damages stemming from a botched Sacramento Family Law Court divorce case. Plaintiff Wei-Jen Luan filed the case in 2004 alleging that divorce attorney Tom Woodruff and his firm Woodruff, O'Hair and Posner Inc., mishandled the sale of real estate held in a family trust during her divorce proceedings.