JUDGE MATTHEW GARY REPORTEDLY IN SIGHTS OF STATE JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT AGENCY FOR ILLEGAL JAILING OF FAMILY COURT PARENTS

UPDATE MAY 14, 2020: Judge Matthew Gary Prosecuted and Convicted by Commission on Judicial Performance.

Sacramento County Superior Court watchdogs assert that Judge Matthew Gary is under investigation by the Commission on Judicial Performance and California State Auditor for ordering the illegal imprisonment of self-represented court users. In a similar case, Contra Costa County Judge Bruce Mills  recently was charged with ethics violations by the CJP. Gary reportedly has delayed his own day of reckoning with help from 3rd District Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Vance Raye, who has intervened to cover for Gary in the appellate court. 

• Disabled, self-represented parent jailed, financially ruined, and made homeless by Judge Matthew Gary.
• Whistleblower leaked courtroom security video of illegal in-court arrest ordered by Judge Matthew Gary. 
• Judge Matthew Gary articles catalog.

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

Lawyer and Sworn Temporary Judge Richard Sokol: Alleged Attorney Misconduct, Moral Turpitude Acts

From the description of the Scribd document embedded at the end of this post: 

Richard Sokol, Sokol & Bristow LLP, divorce attorney Sacramento lawyer complete transcript of court hearing where Sokol client gave false testimony attempting to get a domestic violence restraining order. Sokol's client made false claims in court filings and in court testimony.

As an officer of the court, Sokol had a duty to ensure his client did not make false claims in court filings or testify falsely. Judge Thomas Cecil denied Sokol's request for a domestic violence restraining order.

Divorce Corp Documentary Team Releases Follow-Up Video on Child Support System

From Divorce Corp:

Divorce Corp Director, Joseph Sorge, interviews renowned economist and lead author of a breakthrough study on the costs of raising a child, Professor William Comanor. Watch this video to learn the shocking facts about how child support costs are currently calculated and why they need to be revised. Then share this interview with your state legislators to support child support reforms. Together we can end unnecessary fighting over one of the most contentious aspects of any divorce; child support.

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. 

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Judge Matthew Gary Misconduct: Illegal Arrest and Assault of Disabled Pro Per Video Gets National Coverage - Generates Record View Count at SFCN YouTube Channel

Leaked Sacramento Superior Court Security Video Goes Viral After Blurb by National Legal News Site Above the Law  

This blurb by the national legal news website Above the Law significantly spiked the view count of the whistleblower leaked courtroom security video posted at the Sacramento Family Court News YouTube Channel. 

A whistleblower leaked courtroom security video posted on YouTube by Sacramento Family Court News has logged a record shattering 800 views in less than a week. The view count is attributed to New York-based legal news website Above the Law coverage of our Aug. 21 article, which included the embedded video. By comparison, most videos at the SFCN YouTube Channel generally take a year or more to clock 800 views. SFCN Google Analytics statistical data show that the bulk of the Above the Law referrals originated at East Coast law offices in New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and Chicago. The Washington D.C. readers also included employees at federal government agencies, according to Google. The graphic security tape records the illegal courtroom arrest and assault of disabled, self-represented litigant and family court reform activist Robert Saunders. 

Controversial Judge Matthew J. Gary, responsible for ordering the unlawful arrest, has not been disciplined or otherwise held accountable by the Commission on Judicial Performance, the state agency responsible for the oversight of California judges. 

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:

Government Whistleblower Leaks Courtroom Security Video of Illegal Arrest of Disabled, Unrepresented "Pro Per" Parent

Judge Matthew Gary Abuse of Authority Alleged 

A startling courthouse security video leaked by a government whistleblower records the illegal 2009 assault and arrest of indigent, disabled pro per litigant and family court reform activist Robert Saunders. During a March 9, 2009 court hearing, Judge Matthew Gary ordered the self-represented Saunders arrested and jailed for contempt of court.

Two outside, independent judges who later reviewed the incident determined that both the contempt charge and arrest were illegal.

One of the two reviewing judges also issued an order removing Gary from the case for bias and violating state contempt law. The new video leak appears to reinforce the review findings, showing Saunders sitting passively at the courtroom counsel table until a painful "control hold" is applied to his arm by a deputy sheriff.

When Saunders reacts to the pain, a wrestling match ensues until additional deputies arrive to subdue and apply handcuffs to the illegally arrested victim. The pro per is then shuffled off to the county jail through a rear exit in the courtroom. 

Saunders is 5' 8" tall, weighs 162 pounds, relies on a cane to walk, and, at the time of the arrest, was 57-years-old, according to the police report from the incident.

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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:

Sacramento Family Law Court Parents Hold State Capitol Candlelight Vigil for International Parental Alienation Awareness Day

Family Court Reform Advocates Hold Candlelight Vigil for International Parental Alienation Awareness Day 

A coalition of family court reform groups on April 25 will hold a candlelight vigil at the California State Capitol for International Parental Alienation Awareness Day. According to Wikipedia:

"Parental alienation is a social dynamic where one parent sabotages the relationship of the other parent with the child - sometimes euphemistically called 'aggressive parenting', generally occurring after divorce or separation. This happens physically by boycotting or 'hijacking' any contact between them, but also psychologically by bullying the other parent away and by brainwashing the child. This will lead up to a situation where ultimately the child itself expresses unjustified hatred or unreasonably strong dislike of one parent, making access by the rejected parent even more difficult or impossible. The alienating parent can now hide very well that he/she was solely responsible for this destruction of the relationship with the other parent, and the crime is complete: the child has lost a parent and grandparents. To the child, this siding with the perpetrator feels like the only option to avert the loss of the second parent too. Characteristics with the child, such as lack of empathy and warmth between the rejected parent and child are other indicators."

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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.

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Judge Matthew Gary Misconduct Victim Describes Emotional Trauma of Illegal "No Contact" Child Custody Order

Family Court Victim Describes Trauma of Illegal Child Custody Order and Mistreatment of Unrepresented Parents by Judge and Court Employees

News Analysis and Opinion by PelicanBriefed

In this exclusive, Sacramento Family Court News interview, indigent, disabled family court victim Susan Ferris describes in her own words the trauma of being separated from her daughter because of an illegal "no contact" child custody order issued against her by controversial, volatile, Judge Matthew Gary. Ferris also explains the frustration of having to represent herself because she can't afford an attorney, going up against an experienced family law attorney in court, and having her attempt to file an appeal blocked by court employees. 

The interview was recorded between Thanksgiving and Christmas, on December 16, 2012. In the right foreground of the video is the Christmas village Ferris and her daughter Megan together would set up each holiday season. Ferris describes the excruciating hardship of having to go through the holidays without her daughter. Megan and her mom were torn apart by six words scrawled on a yellow minute order: "No contact w/child in any manner." Click here to view the order.

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Judge Thadd Blizzard Controversy: Court Order Authorizes Criminal Child Abduction for Judge Pro Tem Attorney Richard Sokol - Whistleblower Leak

A whistleblower leaked court reporter transcript records Judge Thadd Blizzard approving a
criminal child abduction by a client of part-time judge divorce lawyer Richard Sokol. 

Tuesday Document Dump

A whistleblower leaked court reporter transcript obtained by Sacramento Family Court News reveals that Judge Thadd Blizzard last November retroactively endorsed an unlawful out-of-state "move away" and child abduction at the request of local judge pro tem attorney Richard Sokol.  The transcript is embedded at the end of this article.

The unprecedented ruling went against San Francisco attorney Archibald Cunningham, who the transcript reflects was dumbfounded by the decision.

The bizarre chain-of-events began after Cunningham's disabled client, Robert Saunders, filed paperwork seeking child visitation under an existing temporary custody order. After the visitation paperwork was lodged, Sokol's client, April Berger, abruptly moved to Hawaii with the parents' twin daughters without the permission of the court.

To continue reading, and to view the complete court reporter transcript, 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." 

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Sacramento County Court Corruption: Judge Pro Tem Attorney Caught in Cover Up of Judge Misconduct - Shifts Blame to Disabled Victim of Illegal Courtroom Arrest

Part-Time Judge Gives False Testimony, Blames Victim for Judge Matthew Gary Misconduct and Abuse of Disabled, Unrepresented Pro Per Litigant

The Historical Revisionism of Sworn Temporary Judges Richard Sokol and Elaine Van Beveren - Part 2
A Special News and Analysis Series by Pelican Briefed

This is Part 2 of our series "The Historical Revisionism of Sworn Temporary Judges
Richard Sokol and Elaine Van Beveren." To view Part 1, click here.

A court reporter transcript obtained by Sacramento Family Court News records divorce attorney Richard Sokol making demonstrably false statements at a court hearing before Judge Thadd Blizzard. 

Sokol's apparent motive was to demonize and discredit the opposing party in a family court child custody dispute. Sokol is a Sacramento County Superior Court sworn temporary judge and Sacramento Bar Association Family Law Section member. 

Sokol is caught on court reporter transcript giving a false account of a prior court hearing before controversial Judge Matthew Gary in the same case. At the previous hearing, Gary had Robert Saunders, the disabled, unrepresented pro per opposing party, arrested and jailed for contempt of court. 

Saunders also was charged with resisting arrest by Gary's courtroom bailiff, Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Deputy J. Strong. As Sacramento Family Court News reported in 2012, two outside, independent judges who later reviewed the incident found that Gary was at fault, and cleared Saunders of all charges. 

Gary was involuntarily disqualified, and banned from hearing further proceedings in the case by San Joaquin Superior Court Judge Xapuri Villapudua. 

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Sacramento Superior Court Corruption: Part-Time Judge Caught on Transcript Lying About Illegal Courtroom Arrest of Disabled Parent

Judge Pro Tem Divorce Lawyer Caught in Cover Up of Judge Matthew Gary Misconduct 

The Historical Revisionism of Sworn Temporary Judges Richard Sokol and Elaine Van Beveren - Part 1
A Special News and Analysis Series by Pelican Briefed

One form of historical revisionism is the “illigitmate distortion of the historical record such that certain events appear in a more or less favorable light,” according to Wikipedia. The distortion of history to deny historical crimes is sometimes called negationism. 

Historical revisionism is often associated with after-the-fact justifications for, or denial of war crimes, such as the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide. 

Some countries have laws making it a crime to disseminate revisionist material, such as Holocaust denial propaganda. Revisionist tactics include deception, denial and trivialization. 

A court reporter transcript obtained by Sacramento Family Court News shows that the same tactics have recently been used in Sacramento Family Court by judge pro tem attorneys Richard Sokol and Elaine Van Beveren. Van Beveren currently also is an officer of the Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Executive Committee. 

The transcript records Sokol and Van Beveren disseminating subtle and overt falsehoods, deceptions, denials and trivializations about the unlawful 2009 assault and arrest of indigent, disabled litigant and family court watchdog Robert Saunders, in the courtroom of Judge Matthew Gary. Both Sokol and Van Beveren were eyewitnesses to the incident. 

In April, 2012 SFCN published an in-depth, investigative report on the debacle and subsequent events, including the vindication of Saunders by two outside, independent judges. Click here to read our report.

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Judge James Mize Replaces Jaime Roman as Supervising Family Law and Probate Judge After Just Seven Months - Infighting Blamed

Judge James Mize was named "Judge of the Year" in 2009 by the
Sacramento County Bar Association. 

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge James M. Mize has been named as the Supervising Family Law, Probate and ADA Judge, effective April 8, 2013. 

The supervising judge position previously was held by troubled Judge Jaime R. Roman, who replaced Judge Matthew J. Gary just seven months ago.

Gary was involuntarily removed in September, 2012 under a cloud of controversy, and several months before the normal, calendar year rotation of the supervising judge position. 

Divorce Attorneys Russell Carlson, Elaine Van Beveren, Fredrick Cohen & Paula Salinger Sacramento Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee Silent On Conflict Issue

Sacramento Bar Association FLEC Officers Response To Judge Pro Tem Conflict of Interest Controversy: Crickets

FLEC officers Russell Carlson, Elaine Van Beveren,
Fredrick Cohen and Paula Salinger are silent on the
judge pro tem conflict of interest controversy. 

Sacramento Family Court News asked the officers of the Sacramento Bar Association Family Law Executive Committee for a response to our report disclosing that family court judges are systemically and unlawfully failing to disclose conflicts of interest. 

The conflicts occur when family law attorneys who also serve as family court temporary judges represent clients in court. State law and the California Code of Judicial Ethics require full-time judges to disclose to opposing parties and lawyers the temporary judge status of the attorneys. 

By email, SFCN asked for a response from the officers of the Sacramento Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee, known by the acronym FLEC. The officers are all family law attorneys who each also hold the Office of Temporary Judge. The officers consist of Chair Russell Carlson, Vice Chair Elaine Van Beveren, Treasurer Fredrick Cohen, and Secretary Paula Salinger. 

As sworn temporary judges, each is required by the Code of Judicial Ethics to take appropriate corrective action if they learn that another judge has violated any provision of the Code. The obligation is a critical self-policing component of judicial ethics standards, and helps sustain the rule of law. To view a Judicial Council directive about the duty to take corrective action, and the types of corrective action required, click here.  

Sacramento Family Court News sent an email to each FLEC officer on Feb. 1. Click here to view the email. We asked for their response or other input about our judge pro tem conflict of interest article published Jan. 28. We wrote:

"We'll be publishing additional articles on this subject and would appreciate a response or other input from the Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee. What is FLEC's position on this issue? Does FLEC acknowledge this error by family court judges? Does FLEC intend to initiate corrective measures to mitigate this problem? If so, what are your plans to do so? We welcome from FLEC any other feedback you wish to provide."

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Divorce Attorneys Sacramento and Family Law Lawyers Family Court Child Custody / Visitation Orders Cause Unhappy Holidays

Illegal "No Contact" Child Custody & Visitation Orders Cause Mental and Emotional Trauma, Especially During Holidays, say Protest Organizers

Summer 2012 family court reform group protest. Among other issues, court reform advocates assert that "no contact" child custody orders issued by Sacramento Family Court judges are drafted intentionally to obstruct the oversight functions of the 3rd District Court of Appeal and California Supreme Court.

Child Custody/Visitation Issues: On Tuesday Nov. 20 two family court reform organizations will hold a rally across from the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. The groups seek to raise awareness of the mental and emotional trauma experienced during the holidays by parents who, due to family court child custody and visitation orders, have been denied contact with their own children. 

Court watchdogs have documented that family court judges routinely issue as punishment unlawful "no contact" orders which prohibit a parent from having any contact with their own children. The orders - issued without the legal grounds required by state law - effectively terminate all parental rights, and are intentionally worded so that any attempted appeal is futile, according to reform advocates. 

"Many parents throughout America get to spend a traditional day of feasting, socializing, fraternizing, watching football, etc., with their children, relatives and friends. Unfortunately, this is not true for everyone. Too many parents have been denied what many Americans get to enjoy every year, and take for granted - an opportunity to spend Thanksgiving Day with their children," said Robert Saunders of Fathers4Justice.

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