Tag: Richard I. Fine

Reports from the December, 2009 California Judicial Council Report to State Legislature and May, 2009 CSAC Summary of SBX 2 11 show that 90% of the 1,900 Superior Court judges in 34 counties have taken judicial benefits [illegal payments – “bribes”] in addition to their state compensation. *Phasing out payments​ Alameda Butte Calaveras Contra Costa Fresno Glenn Kern Kings Los Angeles Mariposa Mendocino Monterey Napa Nevada Orange Placer Riverside* Sacramento San Bernardino* San Benito San Diego San Francisco San Joaquin San Luis Obispo San Mateo Santa Clara Siskiyou Solano Sonoma Trinity Tulare Tuolumne Ventura Yolo* The Campaign for Judicial Integrity confirmed through independent inquiries to the California Judicial Council and the California State Association of Counties that the payments to judges in addition to their state compensation from counties or courts in the following counties hold strong. Instruct your Elected Representatives to END Judicial  Corruption.  Click on “Take Action Now”   MORE ON DR. RICHARD I. FINE AND AMEND SBX 2 11 Read More

The counties are parties in cases before the judges. The judges are state elected officials whose compensation is set by the Legislature and paid by the state, not the counties. The counties also may reimburse the courts for the court’s payments to the judges. If the court is being reimbursed by the county, the court is illegally using county money to double pay the judge above the compensation set by the state legislature. Payments from parties to judges caused judges to lose their jobs* and were held to be bribes and to violate the “intangible right to honest services”**. In the 2008 case of Sturgeon v. County of Los Angeles, the California Court of Appeal held that the payments from Los Angeles County to state elected Superior Court judges which were called “local judicial benefits” violated Article VI, Section 19 of the California Constitution. In response to the Sturgeon case, a special law called SBX 2 11 jointly sponsored by the California Judicial Council and the California Judges Association was enacted on February 20, 2009. This gave the judges who received the illegal payments from the counties and the government officials who made the illegal payments retroactive immunity from criminal prosecution, civil liability and disciplinary action. It also required the counties making such payments to continue the payments made as of July 1, 2008, during the then current term of the judge. The last of those current terms expired in 2012. SBX 2 11 passed each chamber of the California Legislature by over a 2/3 vote, effectively “impeaching” and “convicting” the judges who received the county payments of “Misconduct in Office” under California Constitution, Article 4, Section 18. “Impeachment” and “conviction” required the judge’s removal from office. However, SBX 2… Read More