"Chronology of Events Shown By Court Records Demonstrates LA Judges Targeted Richard I. Fine For Upholding California Constitution"

"In the process of winning the budget cases, in 1998, Fine won an injunction at the trial court level which stopped the salaries of the Governor, the members of the State Legislature, the judges and court commissioners and state employees during the 1998 budget crisis. This injunction effectively shut down the California government until an 'emergency legislation' bill of $19 Billion was passed to allow the government to function during a 'budget impasse' under the California Constitution. This action of 'emergency legislation' had never been taken before by the Governor and State Legislature to relieve the pressure of a 'budget crisis' upon the people of the State of California."

"The chronology of events as shown by the court records demonstrates that commencing in 1999, LA Superior Court judges and court commissioners then commenced deciding cases against Fine's clients or refused to award Fine attorney's fees in cases where he had prevailed. After these actions, Fine became aware that LA Superior Court judges and court commissioners were also receiving payments from the LA County in addition to their state salaries, and not disclosing such to the other party in any case where LA County was a party or to the public. In 1999 and 2000, Fine began challenging the judges and court commissioners for not having disclosed such and for having violated due process in the state court appeals of the cases and ultimately in two federal civil rights cases for violating the U.S. Constitution, the California Constitution, the 1997 Trial Court Funding Act and the Code of Judicial Ethics."

"The Presiding Judge of the LA Superior Court, who had received the monies from LA Country and whose salary was stopped by the injunction then filed a complaint with the State Bar. Court records show a complaint was filed by James A. Basque, the then Presiding Judge of the LA Superior Court and the witness was LA Court Commissioner Bruce E. Mitchell, whose payment of salary was stopped during a 'budget impasse'. Additionally, under the California Supreme Court decision in 2003, he would receive the salary after the crisis was over with an appropriation for such in the new budget. Bruce E. Mitchell was also a named defendant in one of the federal civil rights cases for receiving payments from LA County while he had LA County cases before him and not disclosing such."

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