Tag Archives: judges

iePolitics: Can justice be found in San Bernardino County? – Part 1

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Good lawyers know the law; great lawyers know the judge.  — Author Unknown

Justice is defined as “the upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards or law.”   In other words, in a county run by scoundrels, justice is hard to find.

In part one of this series we are going to examine the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, District Attorney Michael Ramos, and the relationships the office and its elected leader enjoys with the county’s criminal justice system.

Let’s start by defining the role of a district attorney in California.  California Government Code section 26500 states:

The district attorney is the public prosecutor, except as otherwise provided by law.

The public prosecutor shall attend the courts, and within his or her discretion shall initiate and conduct on behalf of the people all prosecutions for public offenses.

As you can see, the definition is simple, yet broad.  The ability to “initiate and conduct on behalf of the people all prosecutions for public offenses” makes a county’s district attorney one of the most powerful positions at the local level.  And when that ability is mixed with politics, it becomes one of the most dangerous. Continue reading →

iePolitics: Can justice be found in San Bernardino County? – Introduction

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Justice in San Bernardino County has become as elusive as a Sasquatch or the Lockness Monster.  Perhaps not as evident to the public but obvious to many of those close to the system who witness the backroom deals, the personal relationships between oppositing parties, and the actions taken for political gain.  Only in San Bernardino County do we have the Public Defender sleeping with the District Attorney literally; the Conflict Panel, which is supposed to represent indigent defendants, donating heavily to the District Attorney and Sheriff; and judges with financial arrangements connected to officers of the court.

“Innocent until proven guilty” is simply a slogan of a bygone era that has given way to a system of justice mired in politics and apathy.  The Constitution of the United States be damned if it doesn’t fit the political plans of a chosen few who are not afraid to use the power granted to them by that same constitution to  use the justice system for political and financial gain. Continue reading →

iePolitics: Time to Replace Some Judges?

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There is a long list of San Bernardino County Superior Court judges who are up for election this year.  Here is a link to all positions up for election in this county:  Offices up for Election 2010 2-1-2010 We have learned this past year that our bench has some good judges and then there are some not-so-good judges.  For that matter, one has to wonder how some of them ever got through law school or passed the Bar. Continue reading →