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. 

Judge Erica Yew Misconduct Allegations: Meme Collection Commemorating Seven Years of Incompetence Released

Santa Clara County Judge Erica Yew in 2010 was appointed to the California Commission on Judicial Performance by the Supreme Court and controversial Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye. The CJP is the independent state agency responsible for investigating complaints of judicial misconduct and for disciplining judges.

Yew was reappointed to the CJP in 2011 and 2015, and her current term ends in 2019. Court reform advocates assert that Yew has failed at the job, and instead of protecting the public from bad judges, Yew has protected bad judges from accountability for misconduct. Yew has played a critical role in maintaining the code of silence about the epidemic level of lawbreaking by judges in California, according to judicial branch whistleblowers.

In recognition of her commitment to concealing judge misconduct, in 2017 Tani Cantil-Sakauye and the Judicial Council of California gave Yew a "Distinguished Service Award."

In recognition of her seven years of disservice to the public as a member of the CJP, Anonymous Whistleblowers recently issued a special, limited edition set of memes featuring Judge Erica Yew.

The anonymous group monitors judges who fail to comply with section 3D(1) of the California Judicial Ethics Code. Section 3D(1) requires judges to self-police, and to report misconduct by other judges. Court reform advocates have documented that judges throughout the state routinely ignore the law. 

6th District Justice Conrad Rushing Issues Sham Order for Divorce Lawyer Garrett Dailey: Indigent Pro Per Denied Right To Appeal

Justice Conrad Rushing

In an unsettling example of judge and attorney misconduct, indigent, self-represented Santa Clara County family court victim Catherine Raffa attempted to appeal a trial court order declaring her a vexatious litigant. Raffa successfully filed the appeal, # H043207, in the 6th District Court of Appeal in San Jose.

Earlier this year, the opposing attorney, veteran family law lawyer Garrett Dailey, filed a motion to dismiss the appeal because, he claimed, Raffa was a vexatious litigant and required to get permission "from the presiding justice permitting the appeal to proceed."

But a litigant appealing a vexatious litigant order issued by a trial court doesn't need permission to appeal the order. If they lose the appeal, thereafter they need permission from a presiding judge to file anything in any court. They don't need permission to appeal the initial VL order, according to both case law and statutory law, CCP § 904.1(a)(6).

Bay Area Divorce Lawyer Brad Baugh Facing Fraud on the Court, Fee Churning Allegations

New Santa Clara County Superior Court: Judge-Attorney Collusion Alleged

Parental Alienation Controversy: Stepmother of Audrie Pott Allegedly Berated by Judge in Michael Lazarin Paternity Action

Documents leaked to the media reveal stepmother of Audrie Pott allegedly berated by judge in Michael Lazarin paternity case. Parental alienation advocates assert that this is part of the untold story from the Audrie & Daisy Netflix documentary. 

Judge Aaron Persky Coworkers Embroiled in New Santa Clara County Superior Court Scandal

The State Bar of California has disciplined attorney Nat Hales in
connection with a family court dispute. 

BREAKING NEWS: Four Santa Clara County judges have been implicated in a new scandal involving providing preferential treatment to a local attorney, and collusion to cover up misconduct by the same lawyer. 

The judges, James Towery, Mary Ann Grilli, Mark Pierce and Vincent Chiarello, were all notified of alleged misconduct by attorney and court appointed "referee" Nat Edward Hales during the course of proceedings in a high conflict family court case. 

Audrie & Daisy Netflix Documentary Controversy: Whistleblower Leaked Motion to Close Courtroom and Seal Reporter's and Clerk's Transcripts

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Attorney Brad Baugh Whistleblower Leak: Olivier Garbe Winnov Founder Divorce Case Past Due Attorney Fee Invoice

San Jose divorce attorney Brad Baugh.

The past due attorney fee invoice embedded at the bottom of this post is from the high-conflict Silicon Valley divorce case between Winnov Inc Founder Olivier Garbe and Diana Dong. The case is being heard by controversial Santa Clara County Family Court Judge Mary Ann Grilli.   

San Jose divorce attorney Brad Baugh represents Garbe in the trial court, and prominent appellate attorney Garrett C. Dailey represents Garbe on appeal. Dong has been represented by a string of attorneys or been self-represented due to denials of motions requesting attorney fee funds.  

Baugh is connected to a number of high-profile, high-conflict Santa Clara County divorce cases, including Richard and Laura Beauchesne, Janet and Kyle Bowers, Susan and Robert Bassi, and Evan and Violet Brooks. 

Court watchdogs allege that court records show Baugh deliberately generates conflict between divorcing couples who have substantial assets and income, unnecessarily drags cases out for years, and in the process churns exorbitant legal fees.  Whistleblowers also assert that Baugh fails to disclose conflicts of interest with Santa Clara County Superior Court judges, referees, special masters, judge pro tems, and child custody evaluators, who Baugh has had personal, social, or professional relationships with for more than 20 years. 

Court case file statistical sampling and anecdotal evidence suggest that Baugh obtains favorable outcomes for his clients at a statistically improbable level. Whistleblowers attribute the attorneys unusual success to alleged unethical conduct, serial moral turpitude misconduct, bad faith litigation tactics, and corruption within his network of judges and associates. 

Whistleblower Leak: Winnov CEO Olivier Garbe Past Due Invoice from Attorney Garrett Dailey of Elkins v. Superior Court

• Case: Marriage of Dong & Garbe 608-FL-000101
• Judge: Mary Ann Grilli Santa Clara County Superior Court

Family Law Attorney and MFT Valerie Houghton Charged in Felony Criminal Case: Prosecutor Asks for High Bail

Whistleblower leaked court records: Valerie Houghton and Terry Houghton called "danger to the community" and "flight risk." 

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Whistleblower Leak: Appeal Attorney Garrett Dailey Employment Agreement with Winnov Inc Founder Olivier Garbe - $650 Per Hour

Employment agreement for prominent appeal attorney Garrett Dailey, of Elkins v. Superior Court. Dailey bills at $650 per hour, according to this agreement with Olivier Garbe. Garbe is the founder of Winnov Inc., in Silicon Valley. 

The agreement is for representation in an appeal in a contentious divorce case, Marriage of Dong & Garbe, case number 608-FL-000101, Santa Clara County Superior Court. Controversial Judge Mary Ann Grilli is the trial court judge, and attorney Bradford Baugh represents Garbe in the trial court.