Judge Jaime Roman Disqualification for Bias: Verified Answer to Challenge for Cause from 2013

Read our Special Report: Sacramento County Family Court Operates as RICO Racketeering Enterprise, Charge Whistleblowers.

Sacramento Superior Court Controversy: Institutionalized Socioeconomic Bias by Family Court Judges Alleged in Federal Class-Action Lawsuit with Sacramento Plaintiff

Systemic socioeconomic bias by family court judges who misuse state vexatious litigant law against financially disadvantaged parents in child custody disputes is alleged in a federal class-action lawsuit filed by attorney Archibald Cunningham. 

Cunningham's rebuttal argument in the case at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on December 8, 2015 is recorded in the video above. The case was heard by circuit judges Alex Kozinski, Jay Bybee and Morgan Christen. To view video of the complete oral argument at the Sacramento Family Court News YouTube Channel, click here. 

Sacramento Family Court litigant Andrew Karres - who without a court hearing was summarily declared a vexatious litigant by Judge Jaime Roman - is a plaintiff in the case. Related SFCN coverage includes: 

• Judge Jaime Roman Designates Party Vexatious Litigant, Sanctions $2,500 and Makes 13 Other Rulings - Without Court Hearing Required by Law, click here. 
• Appeal Filed of Unprecedented Orders Issued by Judge Jaime Roman for Judge Pro Tem Charlotte Keeley,click here. 
• Controversial Order for Judge Pro Tem Attorney Charlotte Keeley by Judge Jaime Roman Challenged in Federal Class Action Lawsuit - Taxpayers Face Financial Liability, click here. 
• Judge Jaime Roman Misstates Law, Uses Overruled Case to Justify Vexatious Litigant and Other Orders Without Court Hearing, click here.  
• Judge Jaime R. Roman Vexatious Litigant Order for Attorney Charlotte Keeley Shows Judge Pro Tem Monopoly - Unfair Competition at Work, click here. 

For a complete list of all articles about the Karres case, click here. 

Sacramento Superior Court Controversy: 9th Circuit Oral Argument in Case Alleging Judge Jaime Roman Ruling Unconstitutional

Judicial Council chair and former Sacramento Superior Court Judge Tani Cantil-Sakauye is a defendant in a federal civil rights class action alleging systemic misuse of vexatious litigant law against family court parents in child custody disputes. 

Oral argument in Pierce v. Cantil-Sakauye will be heard this week in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco. The class action civil rights case challenges the use of state vexatious litigant law against family court parents involved in child custody disputes. The plaintiffs include Sacramento Superior Court litigant and parent Andrew Karres.

In 2012, without the court hearing required by law, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jaime Roman issued an order declaring Karres a vexatious litigant.  The issuance of a vexatious litigant determination without a court hearing was, and is unprecedented, and the ruling remains controversial. 

To continue reading, click Read more >> below: 

Sacramento Superior Court Controversy: Divorce Corp Documentary Cataloging Sacramento Family Court Corruption Now Available on Google Play

The Divorce Corp production team has just announced the availability of the documentary film on Google Play. 

The 2014 documentary film Divorce Corp, which includes the troubling stories of several Sacramento County Family Court corruption victims, is now available on Google Play, the official app store for the Android operating system. A digital distribution platform operated by Google, Google Play offers music, magazines, books, movies and television programs. Divorce Corp can be purchased for $7.99 or rented for $2.99.   

The movie catalogs judge and attorney misconduct and corruption in family courts throughout the United States, and designates Sacramento County as one of the most corrupt in the nation. 

A clip from the movie featuring an interview with Sacramento Family Court corruption victim and whistleblower Ulf Carlsson, is posted at the Sacramento Family Court New YouTube Channel. Divorce Corp is also available on Netflix, at the iTunes store, and on DVD and Blu-ray at the Divorce Corp Store.   

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Sacramento Superior Court Controversy: Divorce Corp Documentary Featuring Sacramento County Court Corruption Now Streaming on Netflix

Documentary Film Cataloguing Sacramento Family Court Corruption Now Available to 65 Million Netflix Members 

The 2014 documentary film Divorce Corp is now available on Netflix, an on-demand Internet streaming media service with 65 million subscribers. The movie chronicles family court corruption throughout the United States and designates Sacramento County as one of the most corrupt. 

To continue reading, click Read more >> below: 

Family Law Report from Divorce Corp Documentary Director Joe Sorge: Judges with Hidden Agendas

Judges with Hidden Agendas Revealed by Attorney in Interview with Divorce Corp Director Joe Sorge

Released nationwide earlier this year, the documentary film Divorce Corp designated the Sacramento Superior Court family law system as one of the most corrupt in the United States. The local family court cases of Andrew Karres, Mike Newdow, Robert Saunders and Ulf Carlsson all were featured in the movie. The film devoted a significant segment to a startling account of misconduct by Judge Peter McBrien in the Carlsson case. Even before the documentary release, McBrien's conduct in the case was characterized as a "judicial reign of terror" by 6th District Court of Appeal Presiding Judge Conrad Rushing.  

In this follow-up video series posted at the Divorce Corp YouTube Channel, director Joe Sorge interviews attorney Susan Settenbrino about judge misconduct. The four-part series covers family court cases where judges were caught pursuing a hidden agenda, judge retaliation against attorneys who attempt to disqualify corrupt judges, problems with judicial elections, and the lack of oversight of the Judicial Branch. This video is part one, covering judges with a hidden agenda.    

Sacramento Superior Court watchdogs and whistleblowers have long asserted that the local family court system operates as a Kids-for-Cash-style racketeering enterprise where children effectively are bought and sold for the financial gain of unethical lawyers. The criminal organization includes the active involvement of several family court judges, and the acquiescence of other Sacramento Superior Court judges who are aware of, but turn a blind eye to the corruption, according to court reform advocates.  

Click to visit Sacramento Family Court News on: Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Scribd, Vimeo, and Twitter. For additional reporting on the people and issues in this post, click the corresponding labels below:

Divorce Corp Family Law Report: Interview with Civil Rights Attorney Leon Koziol - Child Custody

Divorce Corp Director Joe Sorge Exposes Government Financial Interest in Instigating Child Custody Disputes

Released nationwide in January, the documentary film Divorce Corp designated the Sacramento Superior Court family law system as one of the most corrupt in the United States. The local family court cases of Andrew Karres, Mike Newdow, Robert Saunders and Ulf Carlsson all were used in the movie. The movie devoted a significant segment to a startling account and reenactment of egregious misconduct by Judge Peter McBrien in the Carlsson case. Even before the documentary release, McBrien's conduct in the case was called a "judicial reign of terror" by 6th District Court of Appeal Presiding Judge Conrad Rushing.

In this follow-up video, Divorce Corp director Joe Sorge interviews New York civil rights attorney Leon Koziol. The family law experts discuss federal government financial incentives that reward state governments for marginalizing one parent after a separation or divorce. 

Sacramento Superior Court watchdogs and whistleblowers have long asserted that the local family court system operates as a Kids-for-Cash-style racketeering enterprise where children effectively are bought and sold for the financial gain of unethical lawyers. The criminal organization includes the active involvement of several family court judges, and the acquiescence of other Sacramento Superior Court judges who are aware of, but turn a blind eye to the corruption, according to court reform advocates.

Click to visit Sacramento Family Court News on: Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Scribd, Vimeo, and Twitter. For additional reporting on the people and issues in this post, click the corresponding labels below:

Sacramento Superior Court Corruption: Judge Robert Hight and Judge James Mize Allow Attorney Misconduct to Continue Unabated

Attorney Fee Churning Tactics Revealed in the Documentary Film Divorce Corp: Includes Interviews with Two Sacramento Family Court Litigants

Click here to visit the Divorce Corp website. To visit the Divorce Corp YouTube Channel, click here.  

Click to visit Sacramento Family Court News on: Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Scribd, Vimeo, and Twitter. For additional reporting on the people and issues in this post, click the corresponding labels below:

Sacramento Superior Court Corruption: Divorce Corp Documentary Alleges Judge Peter McBrien - Attorney Charlotte Keeley Collusion

Dr. Drew Discusses Divorce Corp and Divorce Industry Problems with Ashleigh Banfield on CNN's Legal View

In this CNN, Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield broadcast, Dr. Drew Pinsky discusses Divorce Corp, a documentary that "exposes the corrupt and collusive industry of family law in the United States." The movie features analysis of family court cases and interviews with local family court litigants Ulf Carlsson, Andrew Karres, Robert Saunders and Mike Newdow, and portrays Sacramento Family Court as the most corrupt family law court in the country. The Carlsson case gets the most screen time in the film, and the analysis includes alleged collusion between controversial Sacramento Superior Court Judge Peter McBrien and judge pro tem divorce lawyer Charlotte Keeley. Keeley is a long-time member of the Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section and has been involved in several controversial cases involving child custody and financial disputes.  
  

Click to visit Sacramento Family Court News on: Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Scribd, Vimeo, and Twitter. For additional reporting on the people and issues in this post, click the corresponding labels below:

Divorce Corp Documentary Film Designates Sacramento Superior Court Family Law Division Most Corrupt Divorce Court in US

Sacramento Family Court litigant Ulf Carlsson's startling story is central to the documentary Divorce Corp. 

Judge Peter McBrien Misconduct, Vindictive Personality Catalogued on Big Screen 

Movie Review and Opinion by PelicanBriefed

It is now difficult to dispute that the Sacramento County Family Court system - rebuilt more than 20 years ago to the specifications of local judge pro tem family law attorneys by Judge Peter McBrien, then-Judge Vance Raye, divorce attorney Robert O'Hair, and others - has become the most corrupt family court in the nation. 

The proof is now available to anyone for $20: the cost of the documentary film Divorce Corp, recently released on DVD, and also available by download at the iTunes store. In his first, full-length documentary film, director Joe Sorge meticulously documents the epidemic of corruption and collusion in family courts throughout the United States. And the Sacramento County system rises to the top of the toxic slurry pond.

To continue reading, click Read more >> below... 

Sacramento Superior Court Judge & Attorney Misconduct: New York Times Reviews Divorce Corp Documentary Featuring Four Sacramento Court Cases

New York Times Calls Family Court "A Land of Diabolical Lawyers" in Divorce Corp Review

In a review of Divorce Corp, the New York Times observed that "Protracted divorces sap couples' resources even in amicable separations and, as in other areas of legal practice, the lawyers seem to have an incentive to draw out the conflict." Four family court cases from Sacramento County are featured in the movie.

Divorce Corp, a documentary film featuring four Sacramento Family Court cases opens nationwide in select cities today. The movie "exposes the corrupt and collusive industry of family law in the United States," and is expected to follow the release trajectory typical for a documentary: A short theatrical run in major cities followed by DVD release, Redbox, Netflix, and screenings on network and cable TV. The production's nationwide search for the most egregious examples of family court corruption and collusion resulted in Sacramento court cases dominating the film. Local litigants Ulf Carlsson, Andrew Karres, Robert Saunders, Mike Newdow - and the nearby Nevada County Elena Haskins case - are featured in the film, with a special emphasis on the notorious Carlsson case. Sixth District Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Conrad L. Rushing described Sacramento Judge Peter McBrien's conduct in the Carlsson divorce as a "judicial reign of terror." 

To continue reading, click Read more >> below...

Judge Jaime Roman Embroilment, Abuse of Authority Against Outside Attorney Suggests Judge Pro Tem Attorney Monopoly, Implicates Anti-Trust, Unfair Competition Laws

Divorce attorneys Sharon Huddle (R) and Charlotte Keeley face-off at a hearing before Judge John Winn. 

News Analysis & Opinion

For Roseville family law attorney Sharon Huddle, the Sacramento Family Court proceedings surrounding issuance of a controversial order designating her client Andrew Karres a vexatious litigant may be déjà vu all over again. Throughout the 20-page order, written by Judge Jaime R. Roman, Huddle and her client are demeaned, disparaged and ridiculed. 

The opposing attorney - Judge Pro Tem Charlotte Keeley - and her client, Mel Rapton Honda heiress Katina Rapton, are portrayed by Roman in the patently unlawful order as victims. For our complete coverage of the vexatious litigant order and the Rapton-Karres case, click here. 

Judge Jaime Roman Controversy: Issues Vexatious Litigant Order Against Opposing Party for Part-Time Judge Divorce Attorney Charlotte Keeley Without Holding Required Court Hearing

Controversial divorce attorney and part-time Sacramento Superior Court judge Charlotte Keeley (R) leaves a family court hearing with client Katina Rapton. Keeley works as a volunteer judge in the same court.  

News Analysis & Opinion

The Sacramento Family Court News analysis team has been working overtime scrutinizing and trying to make sense of a controversial 20-page statement of decision issued on Nov. 14 of last year by Supervising Family Court Judge Jaime R. Roman. Click here for our initial report from 2012.

Roman's decision is now being challenged in both the Third District Court of Appeal, and in a federal class action lawsuit filed March 22 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. It is certain that taxpayers will get a substantial bill for each case.

Court watchdogs contend Roman's order exemplifies the overt lawlessness that occurs weekly in family court, and the preferential treatment that full-time judges provide for-profit attorneys who also serve as temporary judges. 

Tani Cantil-Sakauye Defendant & Jaime R. Roman Implicated in Federal Class Action Lawsuit for Misuse of Vexatious Litigant Law

Controversial Order for Judge Pro Tem Attorney Charlotte Keeley by Judge Jaime Roman Challenged in Federal Class Action Lawsuit

Taxpayers Face Financial Liability

Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye is named as a defendant in this federal court litigation stemming from a vexatious litigant court order issued by Sacramento Family Court Judge Jaime Roman for Judge Pro Tem Charlotte Keeley.

SACRAMENTO FAMILY COURT NEWS EXCLUSIVE

A November, 2012 court order designating a Sacramento Family Court party as a vexatious litigant is being challenged in a landmark federal class action lawsuit filed yesterday in United States District Court in San Francisco. The controversial order was issued by family court Judge Jaime Roman at the request of temporary judge and veteran family law attorney Charlotte Keeley in a case with a long-running child custody dispute between Andrew Karres and Mel Rapton Honda heiress Katina Rapton. 

The order blacklisted [pdf] Karres as a vexatious litigant [pdf] and raised eyebrows in the legal community because Roman issued the ruling without providing Karres the court hearing required under state law and the due process provisions of the state and federal Constitutions. 

The vexatious litigant designation severely restricts a litigants access to the courts by requiring them to get pre-approval from a presiding judge before they are permitted to file pleadings in any court in the state. Sacramento Family Court News in Nov. 2012 reported exclusively on Judge Roman's unorthodox order, which also is pending review by the Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento. Taxpayers likely will now get two substantial bills in connection with the Keeley-Roman ruling. 

The state court appeal will cost the public between $8,500 and $25,500, according to recent appellate court decisions. The public cost of defending the federal case could be significantly higher. For several years, court watchdogs and whistleblowers have asserted that full-time judges give preferential treatment to judge pro tem attorneys. They charge that the Rapton-Karres case is one of several cases emblematic of judge-attorney cronyism and its effects, including the unnecessary use of scarce court resources and the financial burden on taxpayers. 

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Judge Jaime R. Roman Misconduct: Orders Appealed in Divorce Attorney Charlotte Keeley Case - Temporary Judge Preferential Treatment Alleged

Appeal Filed of Unprecedented Orders Issued by Judge Jaime Roman for Judge Pro Tem Charlotte Keeley

Tuesday Document Dump

An appeal of orders issued without a court hearing by Judge Jaime Roman for Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section attorney and family court judge pro tem Charlotte Keeley was filed on Jan. 10. The appeal will cost the parties substantial sums and taxpayers between $8,500 and $25,500, according to recent appellate court decisions. Court watchdogs assert the case is an explicit example of the overt cronyism between full-time judges and temporary judges of the same court. Click here for the complete Sacramento Family Court News coverage of the case.     
   

Judge Jaime R. Roman Disregards State Law, Issues Vexatious Litigant, Sanctions, 13 Other Orders in Prohibited "Trial by Declaration"

Attorney Sharon Huddle appeared dumbfounded when Judge Jaime Roman abruptly cancelled a court hearing.

In a rambling, unorthodox 20-page statement of decision peppered with 73 footnotes, Sacramento Family Court Judge Jaime Roman designated family court party Andrew Karres a vexatious litigant, ordered Karres to pay $2,500 in attorney fee sanctions, and issued 13 additional orders at a brief court proceeding yesterday. 

All the disputed issues inexplicably were decided without oral argument and without the court hearing mandated by both the vexatious litigant and sanctions statutes. Virtually all rulings were against Karres and in favor of Karres' ex-wife, Mel Rapton Honda heiress Katina Rapton. Rapton is represented by veteran Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section attorney and family court judge pro tem Charlotte Keeley.