California Superior Courts Report: Judge Beth Labson Freeman

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Bay Area Newspaper Calls for Judge Bruce Mills Resignation: Serial Misconduct Shielded by Court of Appeal and Federal Judges

California 1st District Court of Appeal Justice J. Anthony Kline, Justice James A. Richman, Justice Therese M. Stewart, Justice Marla J. Miller, Justice Jim Humes, Justice Ignazio Ruvolo, Justice Peter Siggins, Justice William McGuiness, Justice Sandra Marguilies, Justice Robert Dondero, Justice Kathleen Banke, Justice Stuart Pollak, Justice Martin Jenkins, Justice Timothy Reardon, Justice Maria Rivera, Justice Jon Streeter, Justice Barbara Jones, Justice Mark Simons, Justice Henry Needham, Justice Terrence Bruiniers, First District Court of Appeal California - US District Court Northern District of California Judge Phyllis Hamilton, Judge Joseph Spero, Judge William Alsup, Judge Charles Breyer, Judge Edward Chen, Judge Maxine Chesney, Judge Vince Chhabria, Judge Susan Illston, Judge William Orrick, Judge Richard Seeborg, Judge Jon Tiger, Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong, Judge Haywood Gilliam, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Judge Phyllis Hamilton, Judge Jeffrey White, Judge Claudia Wilken, Judge Edward J. Davila, Judge Jeremy Fogel, Judge Beth Labson Freeman, Judge Lucy Koh, United States District Court - Judge Bruce Mills Contra Costa County Superior Court

Judge Bruce Mills has been shielded from accountability for serial misconduct spanning 17 years by 1st District Court of Appeal Justices Jim Humes, Anthony Kline, William McGuiness, Ignazio Ruvolo, and Barbara Jones, according to whistleblowers. Federal judges Phyllis Hamilton, Joseph Spero, William Alsup, and Beth Labson Freeman protected Mills at the federal level.

East Bay Times editorial board calls on controversial Contra Costa County Judge Bruce Mills to resign.

For the second time in five years, the Commission on Judicial Performance has initiated formal disciplinary proceedings against him. Those proceedings are rare; only two to three are launched each year.

It’s time for Mills to step down, to spare everyone the time and expense of another drawn-out proceeding. This isn’t the first time he abused his authority as a judge. Not even close.

...Mills’ attorney, Jim Murphy, says the Commission on Judicial Performance should have never brought the current case, that it has a conflict because it has been criticized by the man jailed in the contempt case.

Murphy’s argument seems pretty weak, but it might have some weight if it were taken in isolation. The problem is that Mills’ abusive behavior has been going on for nearly two decades.

Murphy told this newspaper 11 years ago that his client, the judge, had learned his lesson and would change his ways.

“He is not going to ignore this,” Murphy said as he discussed the commission’s findings in a 2006 case. “I trust that he will never have any further complaints from the commission.”

That proved to be wishful thinking. Mills needs to go.