Attorney Jailed In Attempt to Disqualify L.A. Judge For Taking Bribes

Richard I. Fine

Attorney At Law

Los Angeles, CA On Wednesday, March 4, 2009 the Full Disclosure Network attended a Los Angeles Superior Court Contempt hearing in Judge David Yaffe's Department 86 courtroom where he sentenced prominent Anti-Trust attorney Richard I. Fine to county jail indefinitely, until such time as he provides to the Judge his personal financial information. Judge Yaffe's actions came after attorney Fine pointed out the Judge had taken illegal money from an interested party in the case.

TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
Immediately following the sentencing an entourage of ten or more Sheriff Deputies and Court personnel surrounded the slightly built, grandfatherly 69 year old attorney and placed him in handcuffs. Fine who was dressed in a charcoal grey suit, white dress shirt and red bow tie, readily cooperated and did not appear to be a flight risk. However, the Court was taking no chances as the procession led down the halls of the Los Angeles County Court House to the prisoners exit where the Sheriff's Department provide transportation to the jail.

DEVELOPERS VS HOMEOWNERS
The hearing involved the case of Marina Strand Colony II Homeowners Association vs County of Los Angeles and was prompted by attorneys representing the Del Rey Shores Development who sought to collect legal fees awarded to them. Richard Fine challenged the credentials of the Debtor Court Referee and Judge Yaffe who he claimed had been receiving illegal payments, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars from the County Board of Supervisors since 1988. The attorneys for the developer asked Judge Yaffe to order Fine to take down his website from the Internet, the request was denied.

EXCLUSIVE TELEVISION INTERVIEW
One day prior to the com tempt hearing, Full Disclosure conducted a one hour exclusive interview with Richard Fine who warned of the possibility that Yaffe would likely commit another illegal act by refusing to disqualify himself from conducting the hearing and that any ruling would be illegal as well. In fact during the hearing Fine admonished the Judge his participation would only continue the criminal activity. The Full Disclosure interview is to be shown on 40 cable systems and the Internet in April 2009. A transcript of the entire hearing will be posted on the Full Disclosure Network website soon.

DISTINGUISHED LEGAL CAREER
This extraordinary judicial action of ordering the indefinite incarceration of such a prominent attorney whose long and distinguished career included service in the U. S. Department of Justice in Washington D. C. followed an intensive exchange where attorney Fine objected to Judge Yaffe's failure to disqualify himself. According to Richard Fine, Judge Yaffe along with all of the Los Angeles County judges have each been accepting up to hundreds of thousands of illegal dollars from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, that is specifically prohibited by the California Constitution and the Canons of Judicial Ethics.

WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS
The fact that the Judge insisted on hearing the matter, which involved the County of Los Angeles, was challenged by Fine in a Writ of Habeas Corpus filed with the California Supreme Court just moments before the hearing. Fine pleaded unsuccessfully to the Judge to delay sentencing till both the State and Federal courts had an opportunity to consider his requests for re-hearing.

JUDGES CRIMINAL ACTS FORGIVEN BY LEGISLATURE?
In concluding his argument before Judge Yaffee's ruling, Richard Fine noted on the record that the California Legislature, the Governor and Judicial Council, all have admitted and recognized the illegal and criminal acts committed by Judge Yaffe and all Los Angeles Superior Court Judges and Supervisors when the Governor signed into law the State Budget legislation this February. Inserted into the budget bill was a provision granting Judges and elected officials immunity for illegal acts specifically prohibited by the State Constitution.