Comments on: Judge Zilly’s sanctions order against Cyrus Sanai; Kozinski recuses himself

By: Los Angeles Times continues journalistic jihad against joking Judge Alex Kozinski | Popehat

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:00:19 +0000

[…] and on the residents of his city: A reporter walks into a newsroom. He gets a call from a lawyer who’s been disciplined as a vexatious litigant by multiple courts. The lawyer has an axe to grind against one of the judges who disciplined him, one judge out of […]

By: Judge Kozinski’s email joke list

Judge Kozinski’s email joke list — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:39:00 +0000

[…] The L.A. Times invites readers’ dudgeon about the judge’s private emailing of tasteless jokes to friends. Patterico and Althouse take somewhat different views of the supposed offense. The West Coast newspaper, writes James Taranto, “has been drawn into a vexatious litigant’s smear campaign against Kozinski“, and Ted has called the paper’s coverage “appalling“. […]

By: Miss Havisham, bitter anti-bridled

Miss Havisham, bitter anti-bridled — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:48:18 +0000

“Yes, Sanai may be a kook and a crank, but sometimes people like that unearth information of misconduct by public officials which cannot be ignored, regardless of the character and motivations of the informant.”

I agree with you on this, that is why I do not blame the LAT- at all. They are merely the messenger, and a half blind one at that.

So, kudos for the effort.

But Tom Cod, it is not our business to pry into the personal consensual, completely legal lives of any fellow citizen. Even elevated to this level, private interest (Sanai) does not trump the public interest (service of a good judge!) Mr. Sanai was personally offended. Many of us are often personally offended by things in this world. Some of them are so offensive and obscene as to be rendered illegal. Mr. Sanai knows this. He’s not such a kook.

By: Tom Cod

Tom Cod — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:18:58 +0000

Yes, Sanai may be a kook and a crank, but sometimes people like that unearth information of misconduct by public officials which cannot be ignored, regardless of the character and motivations of the informant. Kozinski is a federal judge who should have had enough wisdom to not allow himself to be put into this situation. As it stands now, his inappropriate and unbecoming conduct, exposed by whomever, brings the judiciary into disrepute and he should face the appropriate consequence or prempt that by resigning.

By: Cyrus Sanai: Kozinski investigation “is part of a litigation strategy”; second Sanai v. Saltz sanctions order

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:05:08 +0000

[…] may recall the previous post where I discussed criticism of Sanai from Judges Zilly (W.D. Wash.) and Grimes (L.A. Superior […]

By: tres king

tres king — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:35:18 +0000

spend a little less time with the pontificating, and 2 minutes viewing the material.

everything I’ve seen from the judge’s website indicates that it really is like looking through adult cards at a Spencer’s gift store.

cut me a break.

By: OBQuiet

OBQuiet — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:36:10 +0000

I wonder is the strategy is to make oneself so obnoxious and personally disliked by every judge that they all have to recluse themselves when you do something really awful?

By: Miss Havisham

Miss Havisham — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:33:08 +0000

That said, Mr. Frank, it appears Mr. Sanai trashed a judge for naught.

By: Ted Frank

Ted Frank — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:57:40 +0000

It’s quite clear that Judge Kozinski will be recused from any Sanai-related litigation. Judge Kozinski’s wife doesn’t lose her right to speak out against attorney misconduct.

And, by the way, it took me exactly 12 seconds to find a case holding that 170.1(c) doesn’t require a finding of misconduct or bias: “A reviewing court has the statutory authority, either on its own motion or at the request of a party, to order that further proceedings in the trial court take place before a different judge when the interests of justice so require.” State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. v. Superior Court, 121 Cal.App.4th 490, 498 (2004).

By: Cyrus Sanai

Cyrus Sanai — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:50:21 +0000

The case law concerning this statute, which you should be familiar with, says that reassignment under this statute is reserved for cases of bias or misconduct. The Seventh Circuit may have a different practice. But in California, under that statute, it is the law. If you can find a published case saying differently, bring it to my attention. You are just making up the law as you go along, Ted.

Also, and let’s make this clear, I have not lost the case involving Judge Grimes, and I have not lost the matters previously before Judge Zilly. Everything is proceeding, and nothing is final. Which is, by the way, where Mrs. Kozinski has become an advocate for judicial misconduct.

Judges don’t get to speak out on matters before their courts unless it is assigned to them, and then only through the opinion process (or in trial court judges, in open court at a noticed proceeding). Judge Kozinski and any other federal judge should be disciplined for attacking any attorney in the press, unless that case is before that judge and the criticisms are made through the opinion hearing process. Judge Kozinski’s original article was misconduct, which he conceded, and he now appears to be using his wife to commit additional misconduct.

Cyrus Sanai