County To Stop Payments For New Judges.....L A Supervisor Michael Antonovich (Video 3 min)

L A County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich

November 23, 2009

Lincoln Club of Los Angeles County

Los Angeles, CA Full Disclosure Network® presents a 3 min video report on the November 23, 2009 remarks made by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich at a meeting of the Los Angeles County Lincoln Club in North Hollywood. The Supervisor provided an update regarding the controversy over long-time practice of the County making payments to Los Angeles Superior Court Judges. Civic leader David R. Hernandez provides his account of the presentation in the video.

A Fourth District CA Court of Appeals decision in November of 2008 ruled the county's payments were illegal in the Sturgeon v. County of Los Angeles lawsuit that found Judges, who are all elected officials, had not been disclosing the extra payments they received from the County to litigants in the courtroom, in cases involving the county, nor on the Form 700 Economic Interest statements as required by the California Fair Pactices Act.

In response a question about the continuing public concern that county payments created a “conflict” for judges and if this conflict was going to be resolved?

Here are some of the points made by Supervisor Antonovich:

• All new judges (elected or appointed) will not be receiving payments from the county.
• Most other California counties have been paying (illegal) benefits to the judges
• This was not just a Los Angeles County practice
• Recent legislation, Senate Bill SBX2 11 has now made the payments legal.
• L A Judges have not always ruled in favor of the County
• Several rulings have been in favor of illegal aliens (which the county opposed)
  

Featured in the video: are two prominent critics of the illegal payments made to Judges by the County and below are comments from Richard I Fine from his L.A. County Jail cell.

David R. Hernandez, Civic Leader (by telephone)
Sterling Norris, Judicial Watch Attorney (Sturgeon v County of Los Angeles)

From his L. A. County Central Men's Jail cell, Richard I Fine: Anti-Trust Attorney who remains in solitary “coercive confinement” following his attempt to disqualify Judge Yaffe for not disclosing to litigants in his courtroom, receipt of payments from County . Fine had this to say regarding the disclosure by Supervisor Antonovich:

“This is long overdue. This is a great victory for those of us that have been fighting the illegal payments. The County has spent approximately $300 million since 1988 on these illegal and criminal payments to the Judges. I and others have filed complaints with the U S Dept. of Justice knowing that these payments violate the tangible rights to honest services and I have filed a complaint with a the California Attorney general showing that these payments are a misappropriation of funds, and obstruction of justice and bribery."

"Senate Bill SBX2 11 which was enacted on Feb. 20, 2009 confirmed that the payments are criminal by the judges and those who make the payments now have retroactive immunity from criminal prosecution, civil liability and disciplinary action. The action of the Supervisors to stop the payments appears to be a clear response to rid themselves of this criminal activity."

In response to comments made by Sterling Norris (in the video) Fine said, "The 2010 budget bill resolution of the County left the decision regarding these payments to the Executive Officer and Auditor-Controller that is the reason you do not see second resolution to these payments. With respect to the Judges, this only deals with the payments in Los Angeles County, 429 judges, will continue to receive their payments however, those payments will stop as each judge comes up for re-election . The longest period of time is if that judge is reelected, he would get payments for six years until there is another election. Then he would be come a new judge.”

Sterling Norris, Judicial Watch Attorney:
Full Disclosure received the following response that is quoted in the video from Sterling Norris, Judicial Watch attorney who won the Fourth District California Court of Appeal decision ruling the county payments to judges were illegal.

“I have not seen anything in the press regarding a resolution by the Board of Supervisors has been passed that would impact the newly hired judges. Even if they did pass such a resolution, it would not impact the majority, about 95 percent of the judges, nor would it impact or our litigation, even if such a resolution would be approve by the by Board of Supervisors. It is estimated that from 1500 to 2000 California Judges will be impacted by the Sturgeon v. County of Los Angeles case that is still in litigation.”

Link to a complete listing and video links to the Series "Judicial Benefits & Court Corruption{

$24 Million L A Gang Program to Bring Redemption?

Los Angeles, CA The Full Disclosure Network® is releasing the first three parts of an on-going Cable TV Series exposé on the failures and successes of gang prevention programs across the nation starting with the City of Los Angeles. Full Disclosure host Leslie Dutton interviews major players in previous L.A. Gang Wars and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's new "Gang Czar", L.A. Deputy Mayor Rev. Jeff Carr, who is implementing the Mayor's new gang strategy, a $24 million Program called "The Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program".


Featured in this 10 minute preview are the following experts:

• L.A. Deputy Mayor and "Gang Czar", Rev. Jeff Carr, who is planning to augment the current gang suppression effort by law enforcement with Mayor Villaraigosa's two prong strategy, prevention and intervention using "gang members can be redeemed."



• * Sgt. Richard Valdemar, a 32-year veteran of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and an International Gang specialist, who predicts that "the use of gang members to intervene during gang violence will not work."



• * David R. Hernandez, a long time Los Angeles civic activist, who says, "The City is either ignoring or concealing the all out race war between local gangs."

WHAT STRATEGY WORKS AND DOES'NT
This preview contains video clips from the first of three parts in the new series. Viewers will learn what strategy works and what doesn't when dealing with vicious gang members who commit heinous crimes. You can watch the first three installments of this series on your local cable television by checking our channel listing on the website. Or you can purchase a three-set DVD from Full Disclosure.

UPDATE: Missing Millions, A T & T , PEG Cable-Video Channels

DAVID R. HERNANDEZ

President Los Angeles Public Access Coalition

www.savepublicaccess.wordpress.com

Los Angeles CA The Los Angeles Public Access Coalition members who attended the February 3, 2009 City Council meeting are reporting the closed session resulted in a unanimous vote to delay legal action against A T & T for thirty days, while negotiations continue regarding delivery of City Public Educational and Government (PEG) channels.

MISSING FUNDS NOT ALWAYS LOCATED?:
The missing AT &T Franchise Fees, reported by Full Disclosure Network last week, have been located, according to the Information & Technology Agency. The funds had been transferred to the wrong city account but have purportedly been located. A recent City Controller audit of LA Government run channels 35 and 36 found reimbursment for production costs provided from proprietary agencies such as DWP, CRA, LAPD Commission, Harbor Dept. had "not always transferred" to the ITA account, with no mention of final disposition (see page 37 audit report)

VIDEO: MISSING MILLIONS IN FRANCHISE FEES?
Watch Video news report (six min) revealing public concern and distrust ABOUT City use of multi-millions in cable-video franchise fees.

PUBLIC CHANNELS MANDATED:
Franchise fees paid for 25 years to the City by cable operators are now collected from ATT, Verizon and other telecom companies who are competing for video delivery to consumers. Fees come from gross revenues collected from monthly subscribers paying for cable and video channels, that by law are to include public access (PEG) channels.

L.A. Budget & Finance Committee Scuttles Hearing on Public Cable Access Funding

DAVID R. HERNANDEZ

http://www.savepublicaccess.wordpress.com/

Los Angeles, CA According to David R. Hernandez, president of the Los Angeles Public Access Coalition (LAPAC) the City Council Committee on Budget and Finance deliberately avoided a confrontation with the public when they failed to schedule a public hearing for this Monday, January 12th to consider funding for a designated public cable access channel.

EXTRAORDINARY MEDIA COVERAGE
It is believed the extraordinary publicity generated by the Los Angeles Times Patt Morrison column and front page coverage by Reed Johnson and Fox 11 News was responsible for the delay. ABC Nightline Special to air on Wedesday, Jan 14th 11:30 p.m.

COMMON CAUSE JOINS BATTLE
Hernandez announced on the LAPAC Blog today, that Common Cause has joined the battle to save public access and sent out a massive Email appeal to their members, nationwide, to facilitate Email letters to Attorney General Gerry Brown and City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo to seek injunctive relief under the Business and Professions Code 17200 Section 3 (Unfair Business Practices)against Time Warner Cable for loss of 12 channels and studios.

VIDEO APPEAL FOR ACTION
Here is the Video News Blog, where Full Disclosure Network first revealed the eminent demise of “public access” cable television channels. Featuring L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl with David Hernandez, describing the 2007 (DIVCA) legislation that enabled the Cities to take seize control of the public access TV.

Can Closure of Public Access Channels be Stopped? By L.A. City Attorney or Council?

DAVID R. HERNANDEZ,

PRES. L. A. PUBLIC ACCESS COALITION http://www.savepublicaccess.wordpress.com/

Los Angeles, CA Producers and community activists are mustering forces to rally support for saving the public cable channels and public access studios in Los Angeles, at a full City Council hearing to be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 10 a.m. in the City Council Chanbers at 200 No. Spring Street, 3rd Floor.

CITY ATTORNEY TO FILE FOR INJUNCTION?
According to David R. Hernandez, President of the L.A. Public Access Coalition (LAPAC) in addition to the City Council's consderations on Wednesday, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo is considering a request made by the LAPAC to seek an Injunction under the California Business and Professions Code 17200 to prevent Time Warner Cable from closing down fourteen public access studios and channels until such time as the City has provided alternative and equal facilities in their place.

PUBLIC STUDIO CLOSURE UNETHICAL?
In a letter dated November 30, 2008 Hernandez contends "the action of (Time Warner) closing fourteen public access sutdios offends public policy, is immoral, unethical, oppressive, unscrupulous and causes substantial injury to consumers who will be prevented from viewing independent programs on the City Public Access channels. Read the entire letter here.

COUNCIL TO SEIZE CONTROL OF PUBLIC CHANNELS
On November 22, 2008 the L. A. Council Committee on Information Technology Agency (ITA) approved a recommendation to consolidate all the public access channels into four government controlled channels and sent it on the the Full Council for final approval.

STATE LAW CREATED LOOPHOLE
The controversy surrounding the Time Warner Cable plans to close all public access operations by December 31, 2008 stems from legislation (DIVCA) enacted in 2007 establishing a State Franchising system under the oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission whereby
cable operators pay a franchising fee to the Cities in leiu of operating and maintaining the public access studios and channels. See ITA website for description of recommendations.

L A PUBLIC ACCESS COALITION TO TESTIFY AT HEARING
In addition to civic leader and Producer David Hernandez, some of the LAPAC group expected to attend and speak at the hearing are:

• Shane Devins, Producer
• Missy Woodward, Producer Critter Crusades
• Sally Hampton, Civic Activist
• Dr. Dan Wiseman, Producer Your Neighborhood Council
• Charlie Mount Classic Arts Showcase
• Leslie Dutton, Producer, Full Disclosure Network
• Michael Cohen, Producer
• Dr. Susan Block, Producer
• Charlotte Laws, Producer
• Elaine Brown, Producer
• Lady Cage-Barile, Producer
• Keith Hardine, Producer