Judicial Council Watcher: Meet Retired Judge Jack Halpin of Shasta County.

As enthusiastically as  possible, we applaud the JCW for the efforts in illuminating the story behind Shasta County's geriatric judge. We long for the day we will lounge in the twilight of our lives. When doing so, we hope to have some serenity that has come with the knowledge that all possible was done to alleviate the injustice in the Shasta County Court System. Seventeen years of injustice, each sixty day appointment at a time, is far too great a price for the families of one community to bear.

From The Judicial Council Watch:

"Meet Retired Judge Jack Halpin of Shasta County. Retired from the bench, he has been re-appointed in perpetuity since 1994 - for over seventeen years. While he should have been subject to three retention elections, he is above the law and has been subjected to no retention elections. It must be nice to be Jack Halpin.

With only AOC oversight (and we all know how that goes: bury the dirt and leave no trace) and the locals questioning weather or not Judge Halpin suffers from dementia the sole determinant of his fitness for the bench is two hundred miles south inside the AOC.

Of course, having no method whatsoever to determine Judge Halpin’s fitness for the bench and for his respected service as a member of the “good ol boy’s club” Judge Halpin enjoys the uncommon perk of absolute judicial immunity. He is fit for the bench because the AOC re-assigned him to the bench and that’s the end of it. All complaints against Jack Halpin spanning over a decade are without merit because the AOC says they are. Of course, should anyone actually file suit to question this, it will be the same group that appointed him that will work to defend him. They will pay for and pick the counsel, they will choose the venue and the judge to hear any such case.  Unlike judges going before the CJP who must get their own legal counsel, Judge Halpin can rely on a far higher power to defend him in the AOC.

He is free to accept bribes. He is free to rule against responsible parents and railroad children into cottage industries, knowing that responsible parents will fight like hell to get their kids back whereas irresponsible parents rarely will. While this is a disease that affects parts of the bench all over California, it’s especially sinister when the judge is assigned, cannot be held accountable by the people and is, in effect, accountable to no one.

According to the AOC, there are 133 “Jack Halpins” throughout the California Court system,  subverting the constitution at the hands of the chief justice. These people are re-appointed in perpetuity without ever having to stand up to a retention election."

SEE ENTIRE ARTICLE

If you are having problems with Judge Jack Halpin, he is retired and according to their website "The Commission on Judicial Performance" does not have jurisdiction over actions of judges after they retire. All complaints should be addressed to:

Brad Campbell
Assigned Judges Program
Administrative Office of the Courts
455 Golden gate Ave.
SanFrancisco, Ca.
94102-3660

Found this on: BLIND BULLDOG BLOG

Originally published: Tuesday, May 25, 2010

There are many  many posts, blogs, documents, books, etc. that are making their way onto the Internet about Judge Halpin's misconduct on the bench. Be sure to come back to this blog and add your story, but also check out others(BLIND BULLDOG BLOG HERE) in order to gain knowledge of how others have had injustice inflicted upon them in Shasta County.

Judge Jack Halpin, How Can a Temporarily Assigned Judge Be a Presiding Judge?

.I am not sure what Judge Baker was thinking when he put Jack Halpin in charge of family court, probably a " who ya know, not what ya know" situation, since Halpin went http://www.blindbulldog.com/2010/05/judge-jack-halpin-how-can-temporarily.htmlto Stanford with Sandra Day Oconnor and is well connected.
Jack Halpin is Retired, it appears that he is over 80, and he is splashing around in the most critical area of the judicial branch which is family court, like a child in a mud puddle. There does not seem to be any meaningful oversight of Jack Halpin because the "Council on Judicial Performance"according the their website, has no jurisdiction over a retired judges action's after retirement. A judge with no accountability can not be trusted with childrens futures and lives, let's not forget that in January of this year in San Bernadino County a baby boy was killed because a judge made a bad decision based on pure pig headedness, this is just too important to be left in the hands of someone that just does not really seem to try or care.
If you have ever witnessed Jack Halpin in court, you know he dose'nt seem to know whats going on in any case, attorneys play him because he won't remember what was established in previous hearings in any given case, so attorneys simply act as though those things are not there knowing he won't read the file, and taking away any progress made by  the least devious side, which  most of the time are parties representing themseleves because they can not afford an attorney.
Jack Halpin constantly asks attoeneys what should be done, so you have the foxes guarding the chicken coupe, while Halpin sits, observes and rubberstamps unethical, illegal and ridicoulous proceedings.
You can complain in writing to: Brad Campbell at the Assigned Judges Program 455 Golden Gate Ave. SanFrancisco, Ca. 94102-6388.
Also send your complaint to "The Council on Judicial Performance" to cover all bases, both addresses are on the right column of this blog, also don't forget to cross examine the mediator in your case, that citation is also in the right column.

Types of Misconduct: A List

There are various types of misconduct that a judge, commissioner, referee, or agent of the court can be disciplined for. In order to better describe your own case, it might be best to familiarize your self with the types of misconduct. A detailed description of each individual type of misconduct is currently be researched and compiled for inclusion in this blog.. If you have information you have researched and would like to contribute to the process of compiling the database for this blog, please attach it to your comments, or email them. You will be given credit if you choose for your contribution. Anonymity will be strictly applied to all submissions, unless otherwise released.


CLICK HERE FOR LIST.   - List was imported from the Commission on Judicial Performance. It has been brought up in various forums that Judge Jack Halpin is a Pro Tem, due to his appointment by Judge Baker as a temporary Presiding Judge of the Family Law Court. This allows Judge Halpin to fall through the cracks of the established commissions charged with oversight of ethical conduct. Or, at least he believes it does. He is both retired as well as temporary. The AOC, Judicial Council, or the Shasta County Presiding Judge Hon. Steven H. Baker refuse to take action unless they have overwhelming and compelling evidence of misconduct. That is why is is so important for the public to document abuses, educate themselves and communicate their concerns to the entire community.




“Temporary Judge.” A temporary judge is an active or inactive member of the bar
who, pursuant to article VI, section 21 of the California Constitution, serves or
expects to serve as a judge once, sporadically, or regularly on a part-time basis
under a separate court appointment for each period of service or for each case
heard. See Canons 4C(3)(d)(i), 6A, and 6D


pro tem

1) adj. short for the Latin pro tempore, temporarily or for the time being. In law, judge pro tem normally refers to a judge who is sitting temporarily for another judge or to an attorney who has been appointed to serve as a judge as a substitute for a regular judge. When an appeals justice is not available or there is a vacancy, a lower court judge is appointed Justice Pro Tem until a new Justice is appointed. Small claims cases are often heard by an attorney serving as Judge Pro Tem. 2) n. short for a temporary judge as "Sam Collins is Pro Tem today."

See page 35 of the California Code of Ethics. 

Remove Judge Jack Halpin - Shasta County Family Court

This BLOG has only one purpose, The Removal of Judge Jack Halpin from the Bench.

This is a new post on an OLD topic, Shasta County Family Law Judge, Jack Halpin. We do this in order to gain and share perspective on the abuse of authority, bias, failure to ensure rights, inability to perform judicial duties, incapacity, among other failures in the family court in Shasta County.

It is our goal to have him legally removed prior to his eventual death. The removal prior to his death would send a signal to other aged judges. Longevity on the bench lends itself to prominence, power and a following in the legal community. Judges begin to see all those around them leave or die as they age. The oldest of those who remain on the bench begin to believe they hold special rights and have seen "everything" before. Each of us face our own mortality. Unfortunately Judge Halpin is unable to do so without causing irreparable damage to the citizens of Shasta County. He is either aware of this destruction, or has become incapacitated to the level of being demented.

Improper decisions based, not upon the law, but upon the judges "gut feelings," political connections, business connections and opinions of attorneys who practice in the family court have become the standard. Lawyers practicing in the court of Judge Halpin find themselves unable to know how to actually argue a case. The issues related to successfully arguing a case have nothing to do with the law. Motions filed with the court are argued as "emotions" and should be renamed as such. 

The Family Law Court is too important to allow Judge Halpin to remain. Too often families find themselves in front of Judge Halpin, only to find that their rights not just violated, but entirely taken away. Judge Halpin abuses Temporary Restraining Orders(TRO's) to inflict his own "shooting from the hip" justice. No hearing is provided, only short irrelevant stares.

The oddities and impact of  Judge Halpin's decisions are not un-noticed by the legal community. The Shasta County Bar would love to see Judge Halpin removed.

Step one of this process is to gain accounts of Judge Halpin's flawed obscure behavior.

As with any sick person, we want them to receive the assistance we ourselves would want. We see Judge Halpin as suffering from illnesses that harm others and himself. A desire to advocate the removal of Judge Halpin comes with a responsibility to see to it that he receives care afterward. No harm is intended nor encouraged in any way against Judge Halpin. We actually seek the opposite, Judge Halpin's removal prior to his inevitable death, as a means of serving and restoring justice; as well as aiding him with what some have called "dementia."

If you have experience with Judge Halpin, attorney or other accounts from his court, please relate them in a succinct, honest and respectful manner. Removing Judge Halpin will require the notification of the local Bar Association, the local presiding judge, the Administrative Office of the Courts, Judicial Performance Commission, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court,  the Judicial Council(Executive and Planning Committee) , the Legislature, the Governor, the Alliance of California Judges, State and Federal politicians  and other concerned interested parties.

Help make a difference in the lives of many who may find themselves victims of Judge Halpin's unconstitutional, irrational and bizarre behavior. Families like ours have the ability to pass on some experiences that anyone would find confusing, cruel, unpredictable, corrupt, uncaring, self serving, crony-ism, pre-judged, baffling and more. The damage bring done by Judge Halpin far exceeds any value he may have provided during his long career. Like a caring adult child, we need to forcefully decide for him, it is time for Judge Halpin to go.