Judge who sent 'get a life' email stipulates to censure, says he would have preferred a jury trial
A California judge has stipulated to a censure, partly for his email telling a supervising judge to “get a life,” but he’s not happy about it.
Judge John Trice told the San Luis Obispo Tribune that the stipulated settlement is “against my nature.” He would have accepted “a straight jury” trial, he said, but his case was to be heard by special masters and he was worried they might not be impartial, he said. The Recorder (sub. req.), CalCoastNews.com and the Los Angeles Times also have stories.
Trice was censured (PDF) for failing to pay his ex-wife part of his military pension payments, as called for in his divorce judgment; for failing to disclose his friendship with an attorney who appeared before him; and for a “disparaging” email. He is a judge on the San Luis Obispo superior court.
Trice’s email responded to a supervising judge who noted he had failed to check with her before leaving early for the day. Trice wrote that he had gone to a meeting for the veterans treatment court and added: “I don’t appreciate you checking on me—I don’t work for you and never will. I was elected by the citizens of this county, unlike you. I would hope you and your pals upstairs would have better things to do with your time. … Pathetic. … Get a life. I look forward to running against you for P.J. The court will be a lot better off without you in some position of assumed power.”
Trice’s lawyer Eugene Iredale, distributed a press release that also had a critical tone. “Although the decision of the Commission accepting the stipulation resolves Judge Trice’s case,” the press release said, “it does not deal with other matters which came to light during the case. Depositions taken during the preparation for the hearing revealed that the court itself suffered from dissension and dysfunction.”
The press release also said the California Commission on Judicial Performance is “itself in need of serious procedural reform” because it acts as investigator, prosecutor and judge.
