CommentsCORRUPTION WATCH-The phrase “Liar, Liar, pants on fire” may explain why judges wear robes. Due to their habitual lying, all their pants caught on fire. What will they do, oh, what will they do, if the taunt becomes “Liar, Liar, robes on fire?”
Although neither Abraham nor Lott are alleged to have authored the line, “Liar, Liar, pants on fire,” the connection between lying judges and fire appears in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. The cities had four judges, who were the only rulers mentioned, and the judges’ names were: Liar, Grand Liar, Deceiver, and Perverter of the Law. As we all know, Sodom was destroyed by fire and brimstone. Thus, the collective unconscious of Western Civilization may have connected lying judges with destruction by fire.
When we look at our own judicial system, we see a lot of complaints about judges who lie. Some judges like John Torribio in Norwalk are bold enough to tell outright lies which are easily disproved. When he labels his falsehoods “undisputed facts,” the higher court pretends that Torribio’s lies are true despite the fact that Justices such as Paul Turner (deceased), Kriegler, and Baker know that Torribio lied. When the contract between SaveHywd and Richard MacNaughton stated that SaveHywd retained Attorney MacNaughton as its CEQA counsel, Judge Torribio declared that it was an “undisputed fact” that the contract hired Frank Angel as the CEQA counsel. Thereupon, Judge Torribio ordered Attorney MacNaughton to pay several thousands of dollars for saying that he was SaveHywd’s attorney.
The July 18 contract, which does not even mention Frank Angel, reads: “This Agreement (“Agreement”) is between SAVE-HOLLYWOOD.ORG aka People for Livable Communities (Client) on the one hand, and Richard S. MacNaughton, Esq. (Attorney) is for legal services with respect to the litigation concerning the Hollywood Community Plan (The Plan) . . . including but not limited to causes of action under The Brown Act Government Code, § 54950, under Public Records Act Government Code, § 6250, and under CEQA Pub Res. Code, 21000...”
The reality, which the public needs to face, is that California state court judges are allowed to lie, they are allowed to alter evidence, and they are allowed to intimidate witnesses. In fact, judges have judicial immunity to do virtually anything as long as they do it while acting as a judge. (Click here for a discussion of judicial immunity.) As all judges and justices know, when they act without jurisdiction, they lose judicial immunity. Their hubris leads California’s judges to believe that no one should be allowed to criticize their behavior. In California, judicial honor has no room for integrity.
The California Judicial Maxim is Power Trumps Truth
Currently, CityWatch is following another judge, Judge Marc D. Gross, and his troubled relationship with facts. See February 12, 2018, CityWatch, Will This LA Judge be Hoodwinked by an Alleged Bigamist Lawmaker? by Daniel Guss which provides a better description of Judge Gross. Essentially, the judge may be ignoring relevant evidence in order to do a favor for Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price, Jr. Lying by omission is still lying.
When people read repetitive comments about a judge who ignores evidence, one knows that the judge is de facto lying. Let’s look at The Robing Room comments by people experienced with Judge Gross:
“The judge refused to take any actual evidence into consideration and ruled based on his "gut".” (6/17/2014)
“Has changed custody on emergency hearings based on lies not evidence and will not go back and change his orders despite piles of evidence, despite the family code that spells out custody may not be changed without evidence.” (3/16/2015)
“He rules on allegations rather than evidence.” (1/13/2016)
“This judge wouldn't even hear the facts, seemed to have no knowledge of the cases at hand (does he not read his pleadings beforehand?)” (9/7/2016)
“He has no capacity to understand that people lie in family court! A judge should not be able to change the entire direction of a child's life without evidence to support such a change.” (1/16/2017)
“The worst family law Judge--HE DOES NOT READ!!!!” (2/16/2017)
“He never reads any of the evidence, wants to rush through things, makes terrible one-sided orders that cause more conflict . . . LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE NOT JUST THE BARKING IN YOUR COURT ROOM.” (4/17/2017)
“He doesn't read pleadings, yet feels he has a firm grasp of the case (he doesn't) to make incredibly far reaching judgments.” (5/21/2017)
“He continues to be one of the worst judges. He has been removed to civil claims court.” (10/25/2017)
When there are three years of comments by people who seem to have no connection to each other and each one finds that a judge ignores evidence, that judge is either lying or has a conscious disregard for the truth. As the saying goes, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”
The Price case concerns claims of bigamy and the average reasonable person would think that any judge could resolve the matter easily by requiring the documents to be produced.
If Councilmember Price is not a bigamist, a motion can be based on official records of which the Court must take judicial notice. If Price’s prior marriage has been legally terminated, Councilmember Price can produce the dated divorce decree. Is there any judge, lawyer or lay person, who does not understand how easy it is for Councilmember Price to present his prior divorce decree and show that it was final before his second marriage? It is literally as simple as 1, 2. “(1) Here’s my divorce decree, (2) Here’s my new marriage certificate.”
Lying Judges, Fake News, Lying Presidents -- These Matters Are Linked
For thousands of years, our civilization has recognized not only that judges are untruthful and hideously abusive, but also that the cumulative impact of lying can destroy societies. Next time you attend court, maybe you should bring a fire extinguisher in case the judge’s lies bring on a torment of fire and brimstone (whatever that is).
(DISCLOSURE: Author is involved in MacNaughton case but not involved in Price case.)
(Richard Lee Abrams is a Los Angeles attorney and a CityWatch contributor. He can be reached at: [email protected]. Abrams views are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CityWatch.) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.