[Victims of Court Corruption] Bar Celebrates Judicial System Achievement

       Christ's Opinion On Lawyers

"Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered." Luke 11:52

Below, lawyers praise one another on their great value to society!

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/67087/ Bar celebrates judicial system achievement Law Day speaker laments funding cuts that are undermining courts
	By Aaron Hale ahale@gainesvilletimes.com May 4, 2012

 

	SCOTT ROGERS/The Times Sam Harben of Harben, Hartley, & Hawkins LLP, offers remarks Friday after receiving the Keyon Award during the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Bar Association Law Day 2012 at the Gainesville Civic Center.           Northeast Georgia lawyers, judges and court staff converged outside the courtroom Friday to celebrate the strength of the legal system and also rally against obstacles to justice. The Gainesville-Northeastern Circuit Bar Association’s Law Day banquet, held at the Gainesville Civic Center, brought together a few hundred legal minds under the theme “no courts, no justice, no freedom.” The slogan spotlighted the bar association’s concern that government funding cuts to the court system are degrading justice. “When you look at the criminal justice system, it’s true there are major problems. We have a horribly overloaded system,” said keynote speaker Edward T.M. Garland, a notable defense attorney from Atlanta. “To have justice, you have to pay for justice.” The annual Law Day also honored individual contributions to the judicial system. Sam Harben, a veteran Gainesville lawyer, was given the Judge A.R. Kenyon Award. It’s an honor given to attorney for “excellence in law and dedication to the public good.” Harben was praised for his versatility throughout his career, able to represent clients in education, civil rights and criminal cases. Brad Morris, the director of the Hall County Public Defender’s Office, presented Harben’s award. Morris called Harben a “lawyer’s lawyer” and “a great advocate with excellent trial skills.” Mark Ruis, who works in Hall County’s Pretrial Services Division, received the Liberty Bell Award. That honor is bestowed on nonlawyers who contribute to the judicial system. Brett Willis, an attorney in the Hall County Public Defender’s Office, said Ruis has a reputation for patience and for treating defendants coming through the system with dignity. “He’s best known for being a master defuser of highly emotional situations,” Willis said. Carla Walker, a lawyer with the Whelchel, Dunlap, Jarrard and Walker firm, was given the Leadership Award. While most of the ceremony was focused on the positive aspects of work in judicial system, Garland also offered some critiques on the state of the criminal justice system. Garland, who’s probably best known for his defense of NFL stars Ray Lewis and Ben Roethlisberger, blamed an overloaded court system on what he described as overzealous laws on drugs. There were some uncomfortable looks and antsy shifts in chairs from some attendants during a portion of his speech when Garland suggested loosening those laws to repair the system. “If we decriminalized and regulated the distribution of drugs, people wouldn’t go and break into your homes or break in to kill to get drugs to feed their habits,” he said. But there was also applause as Garland praised state leaders who passed a criminal justice reform bill that targets a reduction in the prison population and offers more money to accountability courts aimed at treating defendants rather than just imprisoning them.

 

[Victims of Court Corruption] To Hanford Police Chief Carlos Mestas

Dear Police Chief Carlos Mestas:

I have read the below media report regarding Officer Ernesto Servin, and your statement,  "Well, I can tell you, it's very disheartening, extremely disheartening, when it's entrusted on us to enforce the laws, when in fact, one of our own is violating the law."

As one who has spent many years within the legal system, I wish to share with you that violations of law by law enforcement officers has become a duty. Allow me to give a real example. A number of years ago I was stopped by a California Highway Patrol Officer for not displaying an updated registration tab on my car.

I retained with me both the proof that I had properly paid for the registration by mail with the DMV, with a copy of the canceled check by the DMV. I stated to the officer that I had yet to receive my registration tab, and showed him the California Vehicle Code provision that states that if one has paid the registration fee, a citation may not be issued.

The CHP Officer, by policy, ignored this law, and wrote out a citation. He told me that I should show the judge proof of payment and the judge will dismiss the case. I asked him why I should appear in court for a dismissal under law, when the law states he may not cite anyone who has paid the fee. He stated, "I am just doing my job."

Well, I appeared in court, and showed the judge proof of payment and the law. The judge quickly dismissed the case.

I then proceeded with a lawsuit against this CHP Officer for willfully and knowingly violating State law. The State Attorney General appeared in the case and argued that the CHP officer was only doing his job as he is instructed. So I amended the complaint to state that the State of California has a policy, practice, and a custom of requiring their law enforcement officers to willfully and knowingly violate California State Law. 

In other words, my complaint was that it is the job and duty of every law enforcement officer to willfully violate California State Law in this State. I mention this in respect to your statement, "Well, I can tell you, it's very disheartening, extremely disheartening, when it's entrusted on us to enforce the laws, when in fact, one of our own is violating the law."

So, now we have a renegade group of people carrying the title of "law enforcement officers," whose duty it is to willfully and knowingly violate the laws of this State. Such policy breeds contempt by the people of this state not only for law enforcement officers, but for the law itself.

Ron Branson
VictoryUSA@jail4judges.org

Hanford Police officer arrested on drug related charges Friday, May 04, 2012 HANFORD, California (KFSN) -- Hanford Police arrest one of their own. A respected officer faces drug, weapon, and perjury charges. http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8647553 Related Content More: ABC30 Neighborhood News Ernesto Servin was arrested Thursday afternoon, after detectives found evidence of drug sales inside his personal car while he was on duty. The Kings County District Attorney's Office received a tip just a couple of days ago. They passed it along to Hanford Police. Then, after serving a search warrant, Officer Servin was given the opportunity to resign, which he did before his fellow officers placed him under arrest. Ernesto Servin kept his face covered, and said nothing as walked out of the Kings County jail Thursday night. He has served as a patrol officer with the Hanford Police Department for four and a half years. During that time, Chief Carlos Mestas says he never got into trouble and was respected by his fellow cops. Chief Carlos Mestas said, "Well, I can tell you, it's very disheartening, extremely disheartening when it's entrusted on us to enforce the laws, when in fact, one of our own is violating the law." Servin is accused of providing drugs to at least two people in Hanford. Chief Mestas says he also faces perjury and fraud charges for allegedly writing false police reports or in some cases, not turning them in. Mestas said, "He wrote a report that was not necessarily true to fact. So, he was covering up for other drug dealers in town? No, probably covering up for himself, it appears." Servin was on duty Thursday when detectives searched his car, which was parked just outside the Hanford Police Department. Inside, they found at least four grams of meth, marijuana, oxycontin and a firearm. People who live in Hanford say the allegations make them think twice about who they can trust. Adriana Deshazor of Hanford said, "You're supposed to be an officer of the law. How are you going to do that, and you're like not protecting us?" Bill Blake of Hanford said, "You always hear about the bad ones of course, and there's a lot of good ones, but just cause they're policeman, they're not all honest." As for the 52 remaining officers who wear the Hanford Police badge, Chief Mestas says they feel the same way and are "sickened" by Servin's arrest. "We take it extremely seriously. The last thing we want is a dirty cop." Chief Mestas says there is no reason to believe anyone else is involved with this case. The investigation is still ongoing. Servin faces charges of possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, controlled substance for sale, perjury and fraud by trust.

[Victims of Court Corruption] Ky Judicial Branch to shut down for three days

WDRB-TV

http://www.wdrb.com/story/18066469/ky-judicial-branch-to-shut-down-for-three-days

Ky Judicial Branch to shut down for three days

Posted: May 02, 2012 3:12 PM PDT Updated: May 02, 2012 4:43 PM PDT

By Stephan Johnson - bio | email

FRANKFORT, KY.  (WDRB-TV) -- Kentucky's budget is so grim that state officials are being forced to do something they've never done before.  The state is shutting down the justice system for three days this year. 

More than 3,000 court employees are being forced to take furlough days in a move aimed at saving nearly $1.5 million.  "Without a doubt, it's the worst financial situation that we have faced as a judicial branch since the judicial article in 1976," says Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton. 

Justice Minton also says the court system's budget crisis is so bad that drastic cuts are necessary.

"We have cut and cut and cut.  We've cut fat before, and we're now cutting bone."

And now the only place left to cut, according to Minton, is inside courthouses across the state.  "We've announced that there will be three days that the court would be required to close."

Wednesday afternoon, Chief Justice Minton announced the states 3,300 non-elected judicial employees will have to take three unpaid furlough days.

"That's a painful reduction, but it's something that we are just going to be forced to do."  Closing the courthouses will save the state $1.4 million.  The dates include August 6th, September 4th and October 15th.

"We tried to hold it to as few days as possible.  We tried to keep those out of consecutive pay periods to try to spread the pain."

And the furloughs are not the only cuts being made. Justice Minton says, "We're going to have to put a ceiling on the number of persons we can allow into drug court programs across the state."

The cuts also include cutting the hours and benefits of part-time employees, but Minton says these changes will prevent more permanent ones.  "We were trying to minimize, you know, permanent layoffs for employees; we were trying to save jobs."

Meanwhile, by law, the salaries of elected judges and clerks cannot be cut, but Minton and others have committed to voluntarily giving up three days pay.

"The constitutions calls me the executive head of the court of justice, and in my estimation the executive head of the court of justice ought to do that."

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