Sadly, judges like Judge Mary Morgan is the norm, not the exception. This is so as once women pull up a chair at the big boys table, they cut a lot of slack to a lot of defendants.

Please contribute to change via the Elkins Task Force which, if the task force will demonstrate credibility, will signal the court is serious about providing relief for family court litigants.

Considering it's Marin, click for Jonea Rogers most unusual verdict.

Conflicts of Interest, Anyone

From a posting in Pacific Sun.
"Cronyism has been and remains a major concern in the Marin Family Court. Unfortunately, the Court is not doing anything to alleviate those concerns, leading to the comment above by one mother about "incestuous collusion" and "all roads lead to Freitas", as well as the "favoritism", "bias" and retaliation she has felt. (The mother above was concerned because the father's first lawyer was Ali Quam, a lawyer at the Freitas McCarthy law firm, and two bench officers --Judge Duryee and Commissioner Wood--whose respective husbands are partners at that firm, have made rulings in her case. Now Ali Quam has been hired by the court as a Family law facilitator, and the mother cannot use the Marin legal self-help center.)

The mother's concerns about the Freitas firm are shared by others. In fact, one site has written about the Freitas firm in at least two bulletins sent to the legislature earlier this year. Following are excerpts from those bulletins (and, as always, that firm invites anyone to dispute the facts stated below by website which may have been shuttered):

[I]n 2009 Marin County has stacked its Civil division of the Superior Civil with judges who have re-election ties to the Marin law firm “Freitas, McCarthy, MacMahon and Keating”. The judges are John A. Sutro, Jr.; Michael B. Dufficy; and Verna A. Adams.

According to Recipient Committee Campaign Statements on file at the Marin Civic Center Elections office, attorney Neil J. Moran served as campaign treasurer for re-election committees of Judge Sutro, Judge Dufficy, and Judge Adams. Mr. Moran is a partner at “Freitas, McCarthy, MacMahon and Keating” a firm with practice divisions in almost every major area of law.

The Freitas McCarthy law firm was the top donor to the 2004 Dufficy and 2006 Sutro re-election campaigns. Neil Moran and other members of the Freitas firm appear against opponents before the civil bench, without bench members or the Freitas firm first disclosing the connections between the Marin bench and the firm. The “representative clients” of Freitas McCarthy currently listed on the Lawyers.com website include the County of Marin, the City of San Rafael, the Marin Municipal Water District; the Town of Tiburon; the City of Belvedere; and the Tamalpais Union High School District. In addition, Mr. Moran is married to Marin Judge Lynn Duryee (Juvenile/Criminal dept.), and his partner, Peter Kleinbrodt, is married to Marin Court Commissioner Beverly Wood (Family Law). Under California law, Judge Duryee and Commissioner Wood have a community property interest in the earnings and profits of their respective lawyer-spouses. If their fellow bench members give the Freitas McCarthy firm a favorable case or fee outcome, Duryee and Wood stand to benefit.

In late 2005, Beverly Wood and Roy Chernus were chosen by the Marin bench from a field of approximately 60 applicants for employment as Marin Court Commissioners.

At that time, Judge Lynn Duryee was the Presiding Judge of the Marin Superior Court and Family Law Division.

In her 11/9/05 Statement of Economic Interests on file at the Marin Civic Center, Beverly Wood reported an interest of $10,000-$100,000 in the Freitas McCarthy Law firm. She also reported that she worked as an attorney at the Freitas McCarthy law firm just prior to her employment as a Marin Court Commissioner. According to her February 2009 Statement of Economic Interests, Beverly Wood’s interest in Freitas McCarthy has grown to $100,000-$1,000,000.

Judge Duryee also reports an interest of $100,000-$1,000,000 in the Freitas McCarthy Law firm in her 2009 Statement of Economic Interests.

Interesting Note: Marin lawyer Ali Quam was recently selected for employment in 2009 as a Marin Family Court Facilitator. Prior to her selection, she was a family law attorney at Freitas McCarthy.

After Wood’s selection as Marin Court Commissioner, Judge Duryee served as the Marin Family Court judge, and her friend Beverly Wood served with her as the Family Court commissioner.”

Marin judges have a rich tradition of shredding families.

Girl Interrupted. Do you want more of same as the family below, experienced? Judges who shred families.

Judge John Sutro has been privately reprimanded by the Commission on Judicial Performance. His talent? Generating big fees for the Marin lawyers who support them. That Sutro beat his challenger easily shows the apathy level in Marin. Marinites who didn't vote, well demonstrate the carnage apathy ensures.

This site has received complaints about the above for five years. Can they all be wrong? Who else could or would take over two years to decide a Martial Settlement Agreement didn't exist? However, word is, Dufficy remained cool until investigations died out.

In that regard, not too much can be said for the F.B.I. or the U.S. Attorney's Office.

We simply remind the good people of Marin their apathy produces judges like the above. Perhaps one day Marin voters will care enough to provide a viable candidate for judge and senators who act responsibly, but we're not holding our breath.

Until such time one is provided, we strongly suggest instructing your attorney to exercise their premptory challenge if ever assigned to their court.

In fact, taking it one step further, we urge you to contact opposing counsel and determine if the judge's wife, "Penny" is still "temping" there.

Also, the California Court of Appeals overturned a decision by Judge Lynn Duryee, citing abuse of discretion. At issue was attorney's fees. But that's a day in the life, of the Marin judiciary, neatly captured by San Francisco press, not Marin.

Poor Marin. Why, with all that money floating around, won't they get a decent daily newspaper?

Answer: The money tree shake works for them.

Years ago after the DA refused to allow the grand jury to investigation family law judges, three, happily married parents, including a former member of the grand jury, commissioned a report from D. Winner.

The Winner report concluded: Each and every case in which supervised visitation or no contact has been ordered where Dr. Oklan, Dr. Margaret Lee, Dr. Frederica Conrad, or Mauna Berkov played a role at all should be reviewed by two Ph.D. psychologists outside of Marin County. These psychologists should determine whether the cases in question were handled competently and ethically.

"If cases were handled improperly or unethically, then these cases should be re-opened and retried.�

Findings on Judge Michael Dufficy, Commissioner Sylvia Shapiro, & Court-Appointees in Marin County Superior Court in California, Karen Winner, February 28, 2000, Page 52."

But the money tree shake, continues.

Don't take it personally. Judicial abuse is not limited to family law. The courts also prey upon the elderly. Contact us for details.

Good news is coming, although not from government. Both California senators have been wildly remiss in protecting family court litigants. Calls and letters to their offices have a long history of not being returned.

Finally. The chickens Are coming home to roost.

Rating media coverage

In the category of first things first, consider the source of information. Bias is often revealed by who and what is Not covered, in addition to who or what, is. Please return to naming names to find attorneys and therapists we'd avoid...or run from, in Marin.

Meanwhile

San Francisco Chronicle - 2.
When it comes to elected officials, the Chronicle has its hands full trying to keep abreast of the Mayor's activities. For that reason we're not entirely convinced the Chronicle knows Marin exists when it comes to Marin graft. More bothersome however, is Chronicle reporters file copy long before an event happens.

Marin IJ - 1.
A few years ago the IJ's sly effort to thwart court reform was best demonstrated by reporters incessantly interviewing Peter Romanowsky, then describing him as the Leader in whatever campaign he's affiliated. More accurate, (and resolutely unreported), is that Romanowsky's diatribes often drove away the original, credible citizens who instigated calls for judicial and legislative accountability. However, by choosing to repeatedly interview Romanosky to the exclusion of those originally involved, IJ editors maintain their straight-faced stance that they 'cover' the situation.

Pacific Sun - 8.
The only paper to accurately report Marin's Family Law bench, which needs daily monitoring, are too infrequent. However, Pacific Sun does recognize the importance of children as children; not marketing tools for lawyers and judges. Sadly, the PC remains not available online.

SFweekly.com - 6.
Good initial reporting, sadly not followed up.

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