What is with the seemingly endless string of bad judges lately? I’d like to believe that this is all just some sort of odd coincidence, but like most of my hopes, evidence abounds to prove my them to the contrary. With all the drugs and sex these judges are indulging in, one would think they’d be better suited for a career in rock n’ roll (Ba-Dum-Bump).
However, considering that there are literally thousands of judges in the U.S. today, chances are that like with any profession, there are going to be a few bad apples. But just a few, right, RIGHT? Hopefully that’s the case, though when I run into stories about judges who behave as egregiously as this one, I begin to wonder if the amount of unethical judges out there really comprises the minority rather than an emerging majority.
If you’re a legal industry nerd like me, you may have already heard about fame-seeking San Diego Superior Court Judge DeAnn Salcido who last September was charged with willful misconduct for allegedly video recording herself and litigants during courtroom proceedings in order to create an audition tape. An audition tape for what, you ask? Why to be picked as another bad television judge for another bad afternoon court television show. Because, you know, there aren’t already too many of them on the air acting as a constant reminder that our country’s proud legal system is slowly becoming a joke.
Court transcripts reflect Salcido berating litigants, making bad jokes, randomly discussing current events (ala The Tonight Show), and generally trying desperately to be funny in order to spice up her audition tape for potential producers. Among the most notable of Sacido’s many ridiculous comments was describing a defendant’s shoes as “hoochie” after suggesting the same defendant, a waitress, was a stripper, and asking a party if booty calls were exempt from domestic violence statutes.
Judges like Salcido are an absolute disgrace to both the bench and the entire legal profession. Not only did she not get any sort of permission to record the proceedings, but the fact that she has the gall to lie and claim in her wordy 72-page response that her obvious show-boating for the camera was designed to “effect lasting change in the lives of the participants” is disgusting. Not to mention all the conflicting ethical issues in play. Salcido seems to have forgotten that the reason why a judge wears a black robe is to represent neutrality and that when a person dons it that person becomes an extension of the law.
What does this mean for the litigants who were unfortunate enough to grace Salcido’s courtroom? Well, depending on how her proceedings go, it could mean that the decisions Salcido rendered while on the bench may be subject to review. Meaning parties or the San Diego judiciary could petition to have those case reheard. Though chances are things won’t get that far. Reviewing decisions take time and money, for both the government and parties. Unless some serious failings in Salcido’s judgments can be found, a review won’t happen. After all, Salcido is being investigated for her unethical conduct in relation to her own self-interests.
So what can you do if you think you’ve been a victim of a bad judge? Unfortunately, the only course of action in most localities is to file a complaint with the courthouse. Forms to do so are generally available online and in the courthouse. Just remember, typically the only valid grounds for a complaint against a judge are:
However, for those in the legal world, typically filing a complaint isn’t considered the best course of action because filing an appeal is a more effective way to get a case reheard.
Anyone else out there with a bad judge experience? Thoughts? Stories? Please share them all below. Oh, and if someone can alert the folks at Smart Voter to update DeAnn Salcido’s biography page with her latest indiscretion, that’d be great. It’s an election year after all and the public needs the full story.