Judicial Council of California Report: DIVORCE CORP

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Saturday, September 5, 2015

Judicial Council Controversy: Divorce Corp Documentary Cataloging Systemic, Statewide Divorce Court Corruption Now Streaming on Netflix

3rd District Court of Appeal – Sacramento -Justice Vance W. Raye – Justice – Coleman A. Blease – Justice Ronald B. Robie – Justice William J. Murray Jr. – Justice George W. Nicolson – Justice M. Kathleen Butz – Justice Elena J. Duarte – Justice Harry E. Hull Jr. – Justice Louis R. Mauro – Justice Andrea Lynn Hoch – Third District Court of Appeal California

A documentary film chronicling corruption in family courts throughout the United States is now available for viewing to 65 million Netflix subscribers.

Divorce Corp, directed by Joseph Sorge and starring a long list of attorneys, judges, family court mediators, whistleblowers, and litigants has just been released on the Netflix on-demand Internet streaming media service.

The film catalogs corruption, conflicts of interest and other scandals in superior courts in several California counties, including Sacramento, Los Angeles and Nevada County.

The movie features an interview with former court employee turned whistleblower Emily Gallup, who inadvertently discovered that the Judicial Council provides no oversight or accountability of even flagrant lawbreaking by court employees in California. Gallup also learned that whistleblowers are frowned upon by court administrators: In retaliation for her whistleblowing, her supervisors orchestrated her termination. Gallup subsequently won a wrongful termination lawsuit against the court.

Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Judicial Council Responsible for Statewide Court Corruption Epidemic, Charge Whistleblowers

A Sacramento-based non-profit court news organization has published an exhaustive, investigative report alleging that a criminal organization involving judges and local attorneys operates within the Sacramento County family law court system. The report, from Sacramento Family Court News, is the latest allegation that corruption has reached epidemic levels in California courts.

Court whistleblowers and watchdogs charge that California Judicial Council Chair Tani Cantil-Sakauye has used her position to quash investigations into the alleged criminal conduct of her former coworkers in Sacramento Superior Court, and the adjacent, and troubled 3rd District Court of Appeal.

Judicial Council Advisory Bodies

To provide leadership for advancing the consistent, impartial, independent, and accessible administration of justice, the Judicial Council must be aware of the issues and concerns confronting the judiciary, as well as appropriate solutions and responses. The council carries out this mission primarily through the work of its internal committees, advisory committees, and task forces. See below for more information about each of the groups.

For meetings subject to California Rules of Court 10.75, notices and agendas will be posted five business days before the meeting and materials for an open meeting will be posted three business days before the meeting.

Internal Committees

Advisory Committees

Refer to Rule 10.34 Duties and responsibilities of advisory committees.

Task Forces and Other Advisory/Working Groups

Refer to Rule 10.70. Task forces and other advisory bodies.

Advisory Group Archive

Judicial Council working groups and task forces "sunset" after their final recommendations are presented to the council. The service of the following groups has expired; they are listed here for reference.

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Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care

Provides leadership and recommendations to improve the ability of California's state and local agencies, and the courts to help children grow up in safe, nurturing, and permanent homes through the application of reasonable efforts to prevent removal and achieve permanency; increased collaboration among courts and their partnering agencies; court reform to ensure timely hearings and fair treatment; and prioritization of children and families in the child welfare system in the allocation and administration of resources and funding.

Blue Ribbon Commission Members

Commission for Impartial Courts

The Commission for Impartial Courts was formed in September 2007. In December 2009, the Commission presented its final report to the Judicial Council of actions it should take in order to safeguard the quality, impartiality, and accountability of the California judiciary for the benefit of all its citizens.

Domestic Violence Practice and Procedure Task Force

Makes recommendations to the Judicial Council on improving the administration of justice in domestic violence cases in the California trial courts.

Membership list

Audiocasts, meeting materials, and transcripts from Public Hearings in Los Angeles and San Francisco on March 14 and March 21, 2007

Final Report of The Domestic Violence Practice And Procedure Task Force

Elkins Family Law Task Force and Implementation Task Force

The Task Force was charged with proposing measures to improve efficiency and fairness in family law proceedings and ensure access to justice for all family law litigants.

Elkins Family Law Implementation Task Force Fact Sheet
Membership list

Joint Working Group for California’s Language Access Plan

The Joint Working Group for California’s Language Access Plan developed a comprehensive, statewide, language access plan (LAP) for the judiciary to be able to expand meaningful access for limited-English-proficient court users.

Established: June 2013
Sunset: January 2015

Self-Represented Litigants Task Force

Determines the best ways to assist the growing number of Californians who need legal services but cannot afford an attorney. The task force coordinates the statewide response of the bench and bar to the needs of self-represented, or pro per, parties and helps share information about model pro per programs; implements a statewide action plan for serving self-represented litigants; develops resources for services for self-represented litigants, particularly activities in the statewide action plan that require significant funding; and makes recommendations to the Judicial Council, the State Bar, and other appropriate institutions about additional measures that should be considered to improve court services for self-represented parties.

Task force roster
Guidelines for Self-Help Centers

Task Force on Trial Court Fiscal Accountability

The Task Force on Trial Court Fiscal Accountability will focus on implementing specified recommendations of the Trial Court Funding Workgroup and Trial Court Budget Working Group Funding Methodology Subcommittee as directed by the Judicial Council on April 26, 2013. The recommendations of these two bodies were designed to bring greater equity to California trial court funding and help ensure the delivery of quality justice, and equal access to justice statewide.

Task Force Roster
Task Force Charge

Technology Planning Task Force

Purpose: This task force is charged with addressing and making recommendations on the governance, strategy, and financial support for judicial branch technology. They work in partnership with the courts and with input from branch stakeholders.

Date Established: Feb 2013
Date Sunset: August 22, 2014

Judicial Council Members

Council members are volunteers and do not receive additional compensation for their service. Most members are appointed by the Chief Justice, who serves as Chair of the Council, or by the State Bar Board of Trustees. Legislative representatives and advisory members also serve. Most members serve three year terms and each year about a third of the membership rotates off and a new group is sworn in. See Judicial Council Governance Policies for details about membership.

Chair

Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye
Chief Justice of California

Supreme Court

Hon. Ming W. Chin
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Courts of Appeal

Hon. Judith Ashmann-Gerst
Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal
Second Appellate District, Division Two
Los Angeles

Hon. Harry E. Hull, Jr.
Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal
Third Appellate District
Sacramento

Legislature
Hon. Richard Bloom
Member of the California State Assembly
Hon. Hannah-Beth Jackson
Member of the California State Senate

State Bar
Mr. Mark Bonino
Attorney at Law

Mr. James P. Fox
Attorney at Law
Ms. Donna D'Angelo Melby
Attorney at Law

Ms. Debra Elaine Pole
Attorney at Law

Advisory Members
Hon. Daniel J. Buckley
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Los Angeles

Mr. Richard D. Feldstein
Court Executive Officer
Superior Court of California,
County of Napa

Hon. David E. Gunn
Commissioner of the Superior Court of California,
County of Butte

Hon. James E. Herman
Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Santa Barbara

Hon. Morris D. Jacobson
Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Alameda

Hon. Brian L. McCabe
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Merced
Mr. Frank A. McGuire
Court Administrator and Clerk
Supreme Court of California

Hon. Marsha G. Slough
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of San Bernardino

Hon. Kenneth K. So
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of San Diego

Ms. Mary Beth Todd
Court Executive Officer
Superior Court of California,
County of Sutter

Hon. Charles D. Wachob
Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Placer

Hon. Joan P. Weber
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of San Diego

Secretary
Martin Hoshino
Administrative Director
Trial Courts
Hon. Marla O. Anderson
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Monterey

Hon. Brian J. Back
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Ventura

Hon. James R. Brandlin
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Los Angeles

Hon. David De Alba
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Sacramento

Hon. Emilie H. Elias
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Los Angeles
Hon. Gary Nadler
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Sonoma

Hon. David Rosenberg
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of Yolo

Hon. David M. Rubin
Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of San Diego

Hon. Dean T. Stout
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Inyo

Hon. Martin J. Tangeman
Assistant Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of California,
County of San Luis Obispo

Judicial Council of California Report

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