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."

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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