California's Judicial Double Benefits Stir Controversy as Judges Judge Judges: Full Disclosure Network® Video Report

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Watch the unbelievable court video where Appellate Court Justices try to avoid making a decision on whether or not the Superior Court Judges in Los Angeles can continue to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in double benefits from the County, above and beyond their State salaries. A three-judge panel in the California Court of Appeal. 4th District, San Diego. heard oral arguments on October 13, 2010 for the second time in two years in the ongoing case brought by the non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch known as "Sturgeon II"/ originally filed in 2006 as Sturgeon v County of Los Angeles.  Watch video here: http://www.fulldisclosure.net//Blogs/92.php

JUDGES JUDGING JUDGES

This awkward court fight has judges pitted against judges. The Los Angeles Superior Court hired Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, one of the nation's most prestigious law firms, to fight to overturn the previous decision in November 2008 that found the double benefits of $300 million paid to L A Judges since 1987 were illegal. And, L A County would not take no for an answer.  They hired Jones-Day, one of the largest law firms in the world, to continue the fight to give double benefits to the highest paid judges in the nation. Apparently the costly court fees for retrying the case is not an issue. There appears to be unlimited funds for the top legal beagles.

JUDICIAL CONFLICT SPARKS RECUSALS

 The case has been a hot potato bouncing back and forth from Court to Court where all Los Angeles Superior Court Judges were recused from hearing the case in Superior Court, then the Second District Appellate Court passed on hearing the case and finally it reached the California Supreme Court, where a re-hearing was denied.  As a result, Sturgeon vs County of L A became case law. Then, in an unusual move, the Los Angeles Superior Court Judges decided to intervene, after the fact, and joined by the County pressed to overturn the case in the current second-round court battle before the 4th District Court of Appeal.

RELATED VIDEO LINKS:

The Fight For and Against Illegal Judicial Benefits ( 6 min summary)

http://fulldisclosure.net/Programs/preview_549.php

Judges Fighting Judges Over Double Benefits (11 minutes)

http://fulldisclosure.net/Blogs/73.php

What is The Full Disclosure Network®

http://fulldisclosure.net/Documents/OnePagerForReleases7-19-10.pdf

Contact:  Leslie Dutton  310-822-4449  http://www.fulldisclosure.net

SOURCE Full Disclosure Network