SOURCE MATERIAL ARCHIVE

Sacramento Superior Court Records 

SFCN Source Material Archive

Sacramento Family Court News has posted online hundreds of documents and records obtained through Freedom of Information laws, leaked by whistleblowers, or provided by attorneys, litigants, and other sources. 

Most of our news reports contain multiple hyperlinks to source material documents and records. This page contains a small sample of our collection, indexed by judge or attorney. 

The bulk of our source material collection can be viewed at our Scribd page, and at the California Judicial Branch News Network Scribd page. 

Most of our original source material is designated public domain, and may be downloaded, reprinted and reused by anyone. 

Additional documents posted by third parties include: 

• Cathy Cohen Calameo page
• Robertson Calameo page
• California Courts Corruption Scribd page
• Dylan Smith Judicial Branch issuu page

Sample Court & Case Documents by Judge 

Judge James M. Mize

• Judge James Mize sworn character witness testimony for Judge Peter McBrien at the Commission on Judicial Performance, April 2, 2009. Click here to view.
• Court reporter transcript - complete - from family court trial at which divorce attorney Paula D. Salinger requests a final dissolution judgment while a related appeal is pending in the same case. The opposing party was indigent, unrepresented and not present at the hearing. Salinger is a judge pro tem in the same court, member of the Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section and officer of the SCBA Family Law Executive Committee. Click here to view.
• Court reporter transcript - excerpt - from the above hearing. Judge Mize tells sworn temporary judge Paula Salinger she is doing a "fabulous job" and apologizes for "having to be a stickler for the law." Click here to view.
• Court reporter transcript - excerpt - from same hearing. Judge Mize apologizes to the client of divorce lawyer Paula Salinger and regretfully explains that "due process" and "constitutional guarantees of notice and opportunity to be heard" prevent him granting the dissolution judgment request. Click here to view.

Judge Matthew J. Gary

• Court reporter transcript - complete - from hearing at which Judge Gary, initially unaware a court reporter is present, summarily denies an emergency ex parte request and misstates the law regarding child move-aways. The ruling was in favor of Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section attorney Timothy Zeff, of the family law firm Larscheid, Buchanan & Zeff. Zeff's partner, Scott Buchanan, is a sworn temporary judge in the same court. Shortly after making the summary ruling without permitting argument of any kind, the judge realizes he is on the record, stating "I'm sorry, I didn't realize we have a record," and reboots the hearing. Click here to view.
• Court reporter transcript - complete - from law and motion hearing where Judge Gary orders an indigent, unrepresented litigant to pay more than $10,000 in attorney fee sanctions requested by divorce attorney Paula Salinger. Salinger is an Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Executive Committee officer, sworn temporary judge in the same court, and partner at the family law firm Woodruff, O'Hair Posner & Salinger, Inc. 
• All four partners at the firm are judge pro tems in Sacramento Family Court, members of the Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section, and current or former officers of the SCBA Family Law Executive Committee. The reporter's transcript is littered with egregious violations of state court rules, state law, and the Code of Judicial Ethics. Click here to view.
• Court reporter transcript - complete - from unlawful fee waiver hearing ordered by Judge Gary. After an indigent, unrepresented party filed an appeal of orders issued by the judge, Gary ordered the litigant - who had an existing fee waiver order - to appear in court. At the hearing, the judge decreed that the litigant was indigent due to "self-induced pauperism" and blocked the appeal by illegally denying the party's appellate court fees fee waiver request. Click here to view. 
• Ruling and order on disqualification of Judge Gary by San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Xapuri B. Villapudua removing Gary from the Berger-Saunders case for perceived bias, embroilment, and failure to follow proper contempt procedure. Click here to view.      

Judge Peter J. McBrien 

• Judge McBrien sworn testimony before the Commission on Judicial Performance regarding Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section judge pro tem attorneys. McBrien explains "tit for tat" arrangement where judge pro tem attorneys get firm trial dates in exchange for ostensibly "volunteer" temporary judge service running the family court settlement conference program. Click here to view.
• Report of Sacramento County District Attorney's Office Criminal Investigator Craig W. Tourte documenting Judge McBrien's responsibility for the destruction of public owned trees in Carmichael Park. McBrien had the trees - valued at $20,324 - destroyed to improve the view from his home above the park. Click here to view.
• Summons In Lieu Of Arrest Warrant charging Judge McBrien with a felony violation of Penal Code Section 594. Click here to view.
• Leaked court reporter transcript of Commission on Judicial Performance prosecutor Andrew Blum oral argument from the CJP prosecution of Judge McBrien. The transcript details McBrien's misconduct in connection with the notorious Carlsson case. To view the transcript, click here.        

Judge Eugene Balonon:

• 2011-12-27- Judge Eugene Balonon response on Request for Accommodations by Persons With Disabilities.

Judge Pro Tem Divorce Attorneys - Sacramento County Bar Association Members and SCBA Family Law Section Officers

Divorce attorney Camille Hemmer, Law Office of Camille Hemmer. Member, Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section, and former officer SCBA Family Law Executive Committee. Sworn temporary judge, Sacramento Superior Court. 

• Camille Hemmer sworn character witness testimony for Judge Peter J. McBrien at the Commission on Judicial Performance, April 3, 2009. Click here to view. 

Divorce attorney Jerry Guthrie - Guthrie & McCaleb. 

Member, Sacramento County Bar Association, and sworn temporary judge Sacramento Superior Court. 

• Jerry Guthrie sworn character witness testimony for Judge Peter J. McBrien at the Commission on Judicial Performance, April 3, 2009. Click here to view.

Divorce attorney Robert O'Hair - Woodruff, O'Hair, Posner & Salinger Inc. Member, Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section, and former officer SCBA Family Law Executive Committee. Sworn temporary judge, Sacramento Superior Court.  

• Robert O'Hair sworn character witness testimony for Judge Peter J. McBrien at the Commission on Judicial Performance, April 3, 2009. Click here to view.

Divorce attorney Russell Carlson - Carlson & Gevelinger. 
Member, Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section, and officer SCBA Family Law Executive Committee. Sworn temporary judge, Sacramento Superior Court.  

• Russell Carlson sworn character witness testimony for Judge Peter J. McBrien at the Commission on Judicial Performance, April 2, 2009. Click here to view.

Judicial Council Publications

Responding to Requests for Accommodations by Persons With Disabilities

For Persons With Disabilities Requesting Accommodations

Click here to view additional documents at Scribd.