Jailed Attorney Richard I Fine Reveals Cause of Court Corruption............ Interview Excerpt (2 min)

Leslie Dutton & Richard I. Fine L.A. County Jail March 10, 2010

CLICK ON AUDIO PLAYER TO HEAR EXCERPT (2 min)

Los Angeles, CA. Was it just a coincidence that L. A. County never lost a case decided by a judge in the Los Angeles Superior Court over the last two decades? According to prominent anti-trust attorney Richard I. Fine, all but two cases, decided by judges where the County was a litigant in the case, were ruled in favor of the County. He cites this fact was reported on the County Counsel's own website in the anual litigation reports. When Fine discovered the judges were receiving huge sums of money from the county illegally over the past two decades he understood what was happening. He raised the issue in the court room asking Judge David Yaffe to disqualify himself from hearing the case. Fine was held in civil contempt of the Court and ordered held in jail in solitary "coercive confinement" on March 4, 2009 and has been there ever since.

AUDIO PREVIEW: RICHARD FINE ON "CAUSE OF CORRUPTION"
The Full Disclosure Network® presents a 2 minute audio clip from our jail interview with inmate Richard I. Fine where is pinpoints the source of corruption in L. A. County Courts. The entire one-hour is to be released to cable stations throughout California and in major cities across the country in April.

FEDERAL LAWSUIT PROMPTED SHERIFF TO OK INTERVIEW ?
On March 11, 2010 County Sheriff Leroy Baca reversed his long standing opposition to an interview with judicial corruption fighter Richard I Fine who has been held in L.A. County Central Men’s Jail for over a year, without a conviction, a jury trial, a release date or even a hearing date. Baca’s decision to let Full Disclosure Network® Producers Leslie Dutton and T. J. Johnston video record a one-hour interview with Fine in the jail came almost two months after Sterling Norris of the Judicial Watch, the public interest legal organization filed a lawsuit in the U.S. California Central District. The complaint requested declaratory relief asking the court to hold the Sheriff’s policy regarding media requests for inmate interviews unlawful on the basis of violations of First Amendment Rights of the Press.


RADIO, TV NEWS ASSN. ENDORSED LAWSUIT
Within days of filing the lawsuit on behalf of the Full Disclosure Network® the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles based Radio Television News Association (RTNA) passed a resolution supporting the litigation challenging the Sheriff's exclusionary policy.

RELATED LINKS TO VIDEO AND BACKGROUND:

Sheriff Denies Full Disclosure Media Access Video (7 min)

Dutton vs Baca U S California Central District Court Case 10-cv-0595

Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee Syndicated Column On Politics of Fine Case 3-11-10

Russian Journalists Hear How Los Angeles Media Reports The News

FDN Host Leslie Dutton 3rd from Left Meets Russian Journalists

Los Angeles, CA The Full Disclosure Network® (FDN) met with a group of six Russian journalists who were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.

MEETING DISCUSSED LOCAL & REGIONAL TV
During the two hour meeting that was video recorded in the conference room of the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, Producer/Host Leslie Dutton related to the journalists about why FDN is known as "the news behind the news" because the regular news media often does not cover in-depth, many important issues such as government corruption, police policies, public finance and education. That is why the independent and alternative news gathering organizations such as FDN are gaining more followers and popularity on the public cable channels and on the Internet.

JAILED ATTORNEY RICHARD I. FINE

As an example, the Russians learned about the plight of prominent Anti-Trust Attorney Richard I Fine, who has been held in L.A. County Central Mens Jail for almost one year in solitary, "coercive confinement" for contempt of court. A description of the FDN programs on Richard I Fine such as this video, was included in the presentation by Leslie Dutton. Some of the questions asked by the Russians about the Richard Fine case were: "Why isn't the big media covering this case?" "Is it possible that Richard Fine is in jail as a protester, so he can eventually run for President?"

TRAFFIC COP CORRUPTION IN ST. PETERSBURG?

Full Disclosure Network® also asked the Russians questions about government interference with the news media in their homeland. Several of the journalist cited the corruption of traffic cops in the City of St. Petersburg and how the police had disrupted their filiming of a traffic accident, fearing that the journalists were trying to catch them taking bribes.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT PROGRAM

The theme of the State Department International Visitors program was entitled TELLING YOUR STORY: REGIONAL TV NEWS. The program objectives were to acquaint the visiting journalists with local and regional news media, to explore the role of editors and journalists in developing "news stories" and review local and regional newsgathering connected to issues of global importance.


Accompanied by two State Department interpeters, here are the names of the Russian Journalists:

Ms. Valeria Anatolievna Karpova:

Deputy Chief Editor, Information Programs,

Directorate, Novgorod Oblast Television, Veliky Novgorod

Ms. Larisa Vladislavovna Kovlishenko:

Chief Editor Arkangelsk Television Company

Mr. Vitaly Yevgenyevich Lukashov:

Television journalist and program host, St. Petersburg Television

and Radio Company TV5
Ms. Elena Yuriyevna Ponomareva:

Coordinating Editor, Information Directorate, Media Center
Ms. Ekaterina Vladimirovna Pravdina:

Correspondent, Information Service St. Petersburg Bureau, NTV
Mr. Mikhail Yuryevich Velikoselskiy:

director, City Broadcasting directorate, TV5 St. Petersburg

CAN AMERICA RECOVER?...THE TRUTH ABOUT THE STIMULUS PLAN

Washington D.C. The Full Disclosure Network® is releasing a Special Three-part Series featuring H. Andrew Thornburg, Thornburg & Company a corporate turn-around Executive who reveals the truth on the nation’s stimulus plan and whether America can recover. Here is a seven minute video preview of this interview with Thornburg who has an extensive background in Corporate and International finance, Industrial development projects and is a guest lecturer on entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

Among the issues discussed are:

• Job creation
• Energy crisis
• Cap & Trade
• General Motors Bankruptcy
• Mortgage Crisis
• Union Labor Leadership
• Impact of Health Care Reform
• Leveraged Buy-outs
• Stripping Interest From Principle
• Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac
  Other related videos on the fiscal crisis:
  B. Scott Minerd Guggenheim Partners Discusses American Fiscal Crisis
  California Bankruptcy
  The Ticking Time Bomb: Public Pensions & Bonds

L.A. Sheriff Baca Sued By Full Disclosure Network® Over Media Manipulation

Leslie Dutton vs. L.A County Sheriff Leroy Baca

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Los Angeles, CA The Full Disclosure Network® is seeking a Federal Court Order to declare as unlawful the actions of L.A. County Sheriff Leroy Baca and the County Sheriff’s Department. They are denying freedom of the press and free speech rights by refusing access to an inmate interview with judicial critic Richard I Fine who is being held in L. A. County Central Men’s jail for contempt of court since March 4, 2009.

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS SOUGHT:

A complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief was filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California by Sterling Norris, of the Judicial Watch organization on Wednesday, January 27, 2010. The case, Dutton vs. Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca (CV10 0595) includes a demand for jury trial. Here is a copy of the Complaint or it is available at this URL: http://www.scribd.com/doc/26004386

INTERVIEW WITH FULL DISCLOSURE®. NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN

According to the complaint, Emmy Award winning producer/host Leslie Dutton of the Full Disclosure Network submitted numerous requests to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Headquarters to arrange an on-camera interview with inmate Richard I. Fine, as part the on-going cable television series entitled “Judicial Benefits & Court Corruption”.

SHERIFF BACA FAVORS COMPLIANT MEDIA?

The complaint reveals that the Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Baca did allow L.A. Times reporter Victoria Kim to interview Mr. Fine at the jail on May 22, 2009, which resulted in an article published in the Los Angeles Times on June 7, 2009. Additionally, ABC’s Nightline producer Terri Whitcraft was allowed to bring cameras for videotaping an inmate interview with another inmate (other than Mr. Fine) located in the L.A. Central Men’s jail in September 2009.

SHERIFF BACA BLOCKING INFORMATION FROM PUBLIC:

It is claimed that the refusal of Defendants L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and Baca to allow Dutton to interview Mr. Fine at the L.A. Central Men’s jail “is harming the ability of Dutton (Full Disclosure) to obtain and disseminate information to the public about Mr. Fine’s various legal claims, his continuing, indefinite confinement; his physical condition, and the conditions of his confinement.”

RELATED VIDEOS & LINKS:

Preview (6 Min) Judicial Benefits & Court Corruption

Sheriff Denies Full Disclosure (4:39 Min)

Backgrounder: What is the Full Disclosure Network?

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS

REGARDING GOVERNMENT MANIPULATION OF MEDIA COVERAGE

The Fight Against Illegal Judicial Benefits & Court Corruption: Video 6 min

Los Angeles, CA The Full Disclosure Network® presents a special six minute “preview” covering the ten-part cable television series. The Video Reveals the on-going Court battle between Superior Court Judges, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Court Administrators, a prominent jailed anti-trust attorney and the Judicial Watch organization. The legal battle began when Richard I Fine challenged Superior Court Judges who had been receiving illegal payments from the County of Los Angeles and who did not disclose those payments on their Economic Disclosure Form 700 nor to the parties appearing before the judges in their court rooms in cases that involved the County of Los Angeles.

Appearing in the six minute video are:

• Richard I Fine, who is serving an indefinite sentence in L.A. County Central Men’s Jail since March 4th, 2009 for attempting to disqualify Judge David Yaffe
• Sterling Norris, Judicial Watch Attorney (Sturgeon vs. County of L.A.)
• Paul Orphanedes, Judicial Watch Attorney (Sturgeon vs. County of L.A.)
• Professor Emeritus Daniel Gottlieb, Purdue University (ret.)
• Leslie Dutton, Full Disclosure host and moderator

Issues covered in this preview presentation of the complete series are:

• Senate Bill SBX2 11, Legislation granting retroactive criminal and civil immunity to all California Judges, County Government and Court officials who participated in the illegal payment scheme, since 1988 to present.
• L. A. County Sheriff Leroy Baca’s fight to prevent Full Disclosure Network’s access to interview jailed attorney Richard I Fine.
• Richard I Fine’s incarceration in the L. A. County Jail

Related Links:

• One-page description of the entire series here.
• Backgrounder on Full Disclosure Network
• L.A Times Coverage & U S Supreme Court on Judicial Bias
• FDN Newsletter Archives

L. A. PUBLIC ACCESS TV DIES A SECOND DEATH? Video 2 min

From Left: Stanley Sheinbaum, Bill Rosendahl, Leslie Dutton on October 29, 2009

Los Angeles, CA Full Disclosure Network® is releasing a two minute video report featuring a short excerpt from a meeting with L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, held on October 29, 2009 where he informs Stanley Sheinbaum, the former LAPD Police Commission President and First Amendment powerhouse that Public Access television is finished in Los Angeles. The meeting was videotaped during an interview by Full Disclosure Network's® Host Leslie Dutton, as part of Documentary Series entitled “Saving The Public Channels in America”. In the interview Council member Rosendahl repeatedly called for citizens to come forward and pressure elected officials, his colleagues, and Congress to save public access channels.

SHOCK: COUNCIL BACKS OFF FROM PUBLIC ACCESS TV SUPPORT
It was a shock when Councilmember Rosendahl informed Sheinbaum and Dutton that public access in L.A. is now finished and not expected to come before the council again. The entire Los Angeles City Council and the Mayor had unanimously signed off on a budget proposal that provided for a public access channel. That proposal was submitted just a few months ago by Sheinbaum and Dutton, Founding members of the Public Television Industry Corportation (PTIC) resulting from months of rallying public access TV supporters to testify a number of times before the City Council, the ITA Council Committee and the Budget and Finance Committee meetings. The PTIC plan received a recommendation from the ITA Agency and when the Mayor did not opposed the unanimous Council vote, or the ITA recommendation, it appeared that the proposal to restore public access TV in Los Angeles had full support.

CALL CITIZENS TO BATTLE ONCE AGAIN
The Full Disclosure Network® video video report is being distributed by to public access producers via Email in an effort to rally the troops for yet another push at the City Council in order to rekindle their commitment and restore the public channels. PTIC leaders have expressed a concern that a most of the public access viewers and producers can no longer be reached as the channels have been dark for almost a year. The elderly, low and moderate income citizens who are computer and Internet illiterate are without a means to receive local and neighborhood news via independent television programming. The mainstream media has long ago abandoned public affairs and local issues.

CITY DIVERTING MILLIONS IN PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE FEES?
Currently the city receives $25 million dollars from cable franchise operators plus a yet to be reported amount from telecom giants ATT and Verizon who are now competing for subscribers and required to pay similar fee to the city. A 2007 State Law known as DIVCA mandated State control of public cable and telecom franchises. Included in the legislation however was a provision for an additional 1% ($5 million) exclusively reserved for public access facilities, also controlled by the City. The current fiscal crisis has led to speculation and questions regarding where the money will go.

WATCH THESE VIDEOS ON THE BATTLE TO SAVE PUBLIC ACCESS

• Two Minute Video News Report with Councilman Rosendahl
• Stanley Sheinbaum Political Powerhouse Fights To Save Public Access TV
• Ed Asner Attacks Progressive City Council for Diverting Public Access Money
• Missing $Millions In Cable Franchise Fees
• L A Budget & Finance Commitee Appoved Restoring Public Access TV
• Who Killed Public Access TV In Los Angeles
• ABC Nightline Covers L A Loss of Public Access TV

L.A.Times Female Reporter Sneaks Into L.A.Men's Jail: Judge Banned Interview...... Revealed on Tape

Los Angeles, CA L A Times Reporter Victoria Kim apparently sneaked into the L.A. County Central Men's Jail without being detected, in order to conduct a banned interview with prominent Anti-Trust Attorney who has been jailed there in solitary "coercive confinement" since March 4, 2009. Watch the four minute video

JAILERS CAUGHT UNAWARE
According to Sheriff Leroy Baca's personal spokesman, Steve Whitmore, the L A Times Reporter's presence at the jail for over an hour, was completely unnoticed by the jailers and security personnel. The Sheriff has banned interviews with Richard I. Fine so it must have been a complete surprise when he read Victoria Kim's article published on June 7, 2009. How she gained access to Fine's solitary confinement cell is apparently a mystery to Sheriff Baca and his personnel.

L A TIMES QUESTIONABLE TACTICS
It is unknown at this time whether the L A Times was contacted by the Sheriff to determine how their reporter gained access to the high security jail and without the Sheriff's permission. In contrast to the L A Times sneaky tactics to get an "exclusive" interview, Full Disclosure Network has made numerous formal requests for a personal interview with Richard Fine only to be told that Judge David Yaffe had forbidden anyone to interview him.
POLITICAL PRISONER?
Judge Yaffe sentenced Fine to an undetermined sentence with no bail and no release date, following the attorney's attempt to disqualify the Judge from sitting on a case where he had received illegal payments from a party in the case. That party was the County of Los Angeles and the case was Marina Strand Colony II Homeowners Association vs. County of Los Angeles.

"NOT GOING TO HAPPEN"
The Sheriff is apparently so adamant that that no reporters are to interview Richard Fine that he told his spokesman Whitmore "this is not going to happen" many times, over and over. Listen to the audio tape of a voice mail message left on the Full Disclosure telephone where Mr. Whitmore describes the tone of the Sheriff.

JUDGES vs. SHERIFF BACA
The relationship between Sheriff Leroy Baca and the Los Angeles Superior Court Judges has been an interesting one. The Sheriff is constantly walking a tightrope to please the Judiciary to avoid their interference in the operations of his jail.

JUDGE YAFFE CLAIMS REAL PARTY IN INTEREST
Sheriff Baca is apparently honoring Judge Yaffe's directions to stop press coverage of the case. Sheriff Baca is the Respondent in the case and Judge Yaffe has filed papers listing himself as the Real Party In Interest in the case. No Court Order has been entered in either the U S District Court or Ninth Circuit Court stopping the press from interviewing Richard I. Fine. So it would appear the two defendants in the case are interferring with the freedom of the press.

Flash Back: Full Disclosure Network® Mini-Documentary Video (8 min)

Producers T. J. Johnston and Leslie Dutton

Los Angeles, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® is re-releasing an historical “Mini Documentary” video providing background and commentary on this “alternative news” network that has been billed as “the news behind the news” and is distributed to 45 community cable channels throughout California and expanding to other states including: Washington D.C., Manhattan NY, York PA, San Antonio TX, Framingham MA, St. Paul MN, Waterloo WI and video streaming world-wide from the Internet.

This eight minute “Mini Documentary” features video clips of prominent officials and controversial guests who have appeared on the Full Disclosure® shows over the past seventeen years on this independent, non-profit, news program. Appearing in the video are:

MINI DOCUMENTARY

L.A. County District Attorney Steve Cooley

Ramona Ripston, Executive Director ACLU,
LAPD Chief William Bratton
Larry Flynt, Publisher Hustler Magazine
Former U. S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, III
L. A. County Sheriff Lee Baca
Stephen Yagman, Civil Rights Attorney
L. A. Councilman Bernard Parks
Nativo Lopez, President MAPA
LAPD Assistant Chief David Gascon (ret)
David Cartwright, Sr. Partner, O’Melveny & Myers
Don Mullinax, LAUSD Inspector General
Roger Carrick, Special Legal Counsel LAUSD Inspector General,
James B. Reidy, Jr. Professor Emeritus L.A. Pierce College
Kathy Dreyfuss, ACLU Staff Attorney

In 1992 the independent Full Disclosure Network® program began it’s unorthodox climb to prominence, starting on one public access cable channel in Santa Monica, expanding throughout California to world-wide presence on the Internet. The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presented host Leslie Dutton with a public affairs Emmy Award for the 2001 Series entitled “L. A.’s War Against Terrorism”. In 2008 Full Disclosure producers Leslie Dutton and T J Johnston received an Emmy nomination for the series covering the Federal prosecution of Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona.

Gang Culture Evolves: To Organized Crime as Police Report Crime Down: Video Series Preview (11 min)

Los Angeles, CA As a part of an on-going series on Gangs and Gang Crimes , the Full Disclosure Network® presents an exclusive 11 min preview of Part 6 and 7 featuring retired 33 year veteran LAPD Lieutenant Gary Nanson, who was in charge of gang operations for the LAPD in the San Fernando Valley.

CRIME STATS INACCURATE:
Lt. Nanson describes how the gang problem has exploded, out of control, over the past three decades, while police officials have continued to report that crimes are down. By using inaccurate statistics and ignoring the gang evolution into major organized narcotic trafficking the culture of gangs has moved into white collar crime.

POLICE SEARCHING IN WRONG PLACES:
In the one hour interview Nanson details how gang members are removing tattoos, driving middle class sedans and dressing “like us” while perpetrating white collar crimes such as:

• Identity Theft
• Business Extortion
• Medical Fraud
• Credit Card Fraud
• Counterfeit DVDs, designer fashions

GANGS ARE NOW A CULTURE. INSTITUTIONALIZED:
The culture of gangs includes the following mainstream-like traditions that are passed on for generations:

• Gang Language
• Rap Music
• Gang Movies
• Gang Fashion Clothing
• Gang Signs

U S EXPORTING GANG CULTURE:
Lt. Nanson relates how the gang lifestyle has exploded and imported throughout the United States to other countries.

The two half-hour segments with Lt. Nanson will also be featured on over 40 cable television systems in California, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Arizona and more.

Copies of the DVDs of the entire gang series are available for purchase from the Full Disclosure Network “buy our programs” link at the top of the home page.

FISCAL CRISIS: Illegal Payments Create Law For Judicial Criminal & Liability Immunity: Nominees For U S Supreme Court To Be Impacted?

STERLING NORRIS
Judicial Watch Attorney (Sturgeon vs County of Los Angeles)

Los Angeles, CA While counties, cities and the entire state are on the brink of financial collapse all California Superior Court Judges are fighting hard, in court and in the State Legislature, to keep the illegal payments made to them by county governments. The Judicial Watch organization successfully challenged those payments made to Judges in L A County, where over the past decade it has been estimated that L.A. Judges have received up to $300 million dollars. A Fourth District Appellate Court decision in October 2008 (Sturgeon vs County of Los Angeles) held those payments to the Judges were indeed unlawful. This action prompted the Judges to fight back.


RETROACTIVE IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTION
Judges were apparently worried about being prosecuted for criminal acts and liability for taking the unearned money. At the urging of the Los Angeles Superior Court, the California Judicial Council quietly authored a provision that was slipped into the State Budget legislation SBX 211, without public debate or awareness. This provision granted retroactive immunity from criminal prosecution to all California Judges and County officials who received or made those illegal payments of public money. Depending on who you talk to the payments are referred to as "unearned benefits" or "Judicial Benefits".

NON DISCLOSURE FOR JUDGES?
Full Disclosure Network ® inteviewed Judicial Watch attorney Sterling Norris in April 2009 as part of an on going "special series" entitled Judicial Benefits and Court Corruption. We asked Norris what motivated the California Judicial Council to change the law giving retroactive immunity from criminal prosecution to the Judges and the Counties? His response was:

"they would not have sponsored the legislation unless they really felt the Judges needed immunity from criminal prosecution and liability".

Ironically, Richard I. Fine, a former prominent anti-trust attorney is still sitting in the Los Angeles County Central Men's Jail, in isolation, for more than 70 days. He was held in contempt of court, after he attempted to disqualify Superior Court Judge David Yaffe from sitting on a case that involved the County of Los Angeles. According to Fine , Yaffe failed to disclose to the parties in the case (Marina Strand Colony II Homeowners Association vs County of Los Angeles) that he had been receiving $46,000, on top of his State salary, from the County for years. Yaffe recently defended the practice of "coercive confinement" in contempt cases in response to a Writ of Habeas Corpus for Immediate Release filed by Fine in the Federal Court on March 29, 2009.

QUOTES ON NON-DISCLOSURE & PROSECUTION
Sterling Norris of Judicial Watch had these comments regarding unearned payments to Judges and their failure to disclose.

• "There is no question that the judges should have disclosed they were receiving $46,000 from the County of L.A. , there is no way the judiciary, ethically, could get around it....""
  
• "$46,000 each year is not a small amount, many people don't make that much all year and this, from the County, is on top their $200,000 State salary. In California they are the highest paid court judges in the nation".
  
• "If (the Judges) are on the up and up, you go get a declaratory judgment (in court) saying, in spite of court consolidation, we are entitled to the money"
  
• "We have never seen people excused from liability retroactively"


• "There is a criminal doctrine of law that if you received money you are not entitled to, and you keep it, that is considered theft"
  

IMPACT ON JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS?
Without immunity for criminal acts, a complicating factor associated with the illegal payments to Judges, is that a number of Los Angeles Superior Court Judges have been appointed to higher courts during the past two decades. They now sit on the Supreme Court and the Appellate Court. The question is, does the fact they have accepted unearned money from other than their employer disqualify them from higher appointments? In his request for investigation and complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice Richard I. Fine points to both Appellate and Supreme Court Justices who have received illegal payments from the County and who have been granted criminal immunity.

JUDICIAL ETHICS AND SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CARLOS R. MORENO

The California Constitution (Sec. 17, 19, 20) states that Judges may not receive money from other parties than their employer, the State of California, and the Legislature has the sole responsibility for setting compensation and retirement benefits. On page 4 of the Fine request for investigation he names California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, who has been mentioned as a possible nominee to the U. S. Supreme Court by President Obama.

In a telephone interview on Friday, May 15, 2009 from his jail cell, Mr. Fine expressed concern about the possible U.S. Supreme Court nomination of Justice Moreno because he had not recused himself from two critical cases involving the SBX2 11 and the controversial retroactive criminal imnunity issue. First, by not recusing himself in the disbarrment case of Fine who had raised the illegal payments to Judges and second, on the Writ of Habeas Corpus, where Fine was seeking immediate release from L.A. County Jail for contempt of Court. In both instances Fine maintains that Justice Moreno had a personal conflict and that two Federal Judges (George Wu and Dale Fischer) recused themselves from the Writ of Habeas Corpus filed by Richard Fine as they had been Superior Court Judges in Los Angeles and had received illegal payments from the County and retroactive immunity from criminal prosecution.


JULY 2nd COURT HEARING IN L.A.
The on-going controversy over the State's fiscal crisis, Judicial benefits and appointments is playing out in yet another court hearing on July 2, 2009 when San Francisco Appellate Court Justice James A. Richman will preside in an L A Superior Court to rule on the Judicial Watch motion for injunctive relief, to prohibit the county from making futher illegal payments to the Judges. At that time Sterling Norris will have an opportunity to raise thie issue of Constitutionality of SBX2 11 granting Judges retroactive immuity for liability and criminal acts without public discussion or debate.

FISCAL CRISIS & WHO PAYS THE BIG LAW FIRMS ?
The Judical Watch organization, has been been faced with formidable opposition from County of Los Angeles and their private lawfirm Jones-Day and the Superior Court of Los Angeles who retained Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher who successfully obtained "Intervenor" status in the case. The "unearned benefits" going to the Judges, not to the public, raises the issue who will pay the big law firms? Will it be the taxpayers who pay or the Judges who personally benefit from the illegal payments? No matter who wins and who pays, this legal battle is going to cost a lot of money.


JUDGES ASSN. DECLINE INTERVIEW

The Full Disclosure® Host Leslie Dutton contacted Judge Mary Wiss, president of the California Judges Association for an interview for this two-part interview with Sterling Norris, Judge Wiss referred us to their lobbyist, Mr. Mike Beliote, who declined an interview saying "the Judges have decided not to be interviewed on this subject" The Full Disclosure series is to be released to 40 cable systems and on the Internet in June 2009. This is part three and four of the on-going series. # # # #

Will L A Public Cable Channels Comeback? A Plan To Restore Public Studio Facilities

PUBLIC ACCESS SUPPORTERS LINE-UP TO TESTIFY
Stanley Sheinbaum (at podium) Leslie Dutton, T.J. Johnston


Los Angeles, CA Almost sixty people lined up to testify on Wednesday, April 29th at the City Hall hearing before the Budget and Finance Committee on ITA funding for public cable channels. There was only one proposal presented to the Committee to restore public studio facilities. First to testify were PUBLIC TELEVISION INDUSTRY CORPORATION (PTIC) officials who outlined in their one minute presentations how they would restore the public cable facilities. A complete video news report is to be released on the Full Disclosure Network this week.

Members of the non-profit PTIC Board of Advisors who addressed the plan were:

Stanley K. Sheinbaum, Ron Kaye, Scott Wilson, David R. Hernandez, Arthur Poma, Xavier Hermasillo, Sandra Needs, Dr. Charlotte Laws, Leslie Dutton, H. Andrew Thornburg and T. J. Johnston
Many other supporters testified as well and are featured in the upcoming video report.

FUNDING AVAILABLE
The PTIC proposal presented a plan to restore public cable studio facilities, one each year for the next four years. Fourteen public studios and channels went dark this January when Time Warner Cable opted out of providing public access, instead under the new DIVCA legislation they are required to pay the city $5 million per year to be used exclusively capital costs for replacing the public studios. This 1% cable franchise fee cannot be used for any other purpose according to the legislation and city officials told the Council committee they expect to receive the first payment of this money in just a couple of weeks.

HELP PUBLIC VOICE BE HEARD
The concept of public access cable channels, as intended by the FCC mandate, was to provide opportunity and facilities whereby independent producers could record their shows in sound proof studios with editing rooms, professional assistance and training. The FCC concept was to encourage citizen involvement and coverage of issues and events by enabling the public's voice to be heard in contrast to the main stream media and government perspective.

MORE CHANNELS COMING?
With the telecoms now providing Internet access and video delivery under the DIVCA legislation, A-T-T and Verizon are also required to provide public channels in the same manner as are the cable companies. Currently A-T-T has proposed a plan to place all Southern California Cities public programming on one channel in an "On Demand" fashion so that they will be downloaded rather than cablecast. The City of Los Angeles is opposing the A-T-T plan known as U-Verse and insisting they provide separate public channels.

PUBLIC TELEVISION INDUSTRY CORPORATION
A NON-PROFIT PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION
For more information on PTIC's Plan call:
David R. Hernandez, Vice President, PTIC 818-448-3403

Leslie Dutton, President 310-822-4449

911 CALL FROM ATTORNEY IN JAIL: Video Here (8 min)

Los Angeles CA The Full Disclosure Network® once again brings "the news behind the news" covering the on going drama unfolding in the L. A. County Jail. Here is a video report of a 911 call for help from prominent Anti-Trust Attorney Richard I Fine who has been confined in the L A County Men's Central Jail, in isolation, since March 4, 2009 following his Superior Court contempt of court hearing in Department 86. Judge David Yaffe ordered Fine to turn over all of his personal financial records and until he did so would be incarcerated without bail, without at release date and without a scheduled hearing, making the term of his sentence, indefinite. Watch and listen here

The contempt sentence imposed by Superior Court Judge David Yaffe followed a request made by Richard Fine, representing him self "in pro per" that Judge Yaffe disqualify himself from hearing the case due to the fact the Judge had received unconstitutional payments from the County of Los Angeles that was party to the case (Marina Strand Colony II Homeowners Association vs County of Los Angeles).

IN PRO PER RIGHTS: In the telephone recorded conversation, Fine describes to Full Disclosure the conditions where he was being held and that he was being denied his Constitutional right to represent himself and even access to paper and pencil, thus preventing him from filing an “IN PRO PER” writ of Habeas Corpus in Federal Court that could possibly free him and provide him an opportunity to fight what he calls "Judicial Corruption".

Details of the contempt hearing and arrest of Richard I. Fine can be found here on this webpage.

A one hour exclusive Full Disclosure® videotaped interview featuring Attorney Fine prior to his incarceration along with government opposition supporting his incarceration and disbarment is to be released to 40 cable systems and on the Internet.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MULTI-MILLION$ CABLE & VIDEO OPERATOR FEES?

Los Angeles CA The Full Disclosure Network® presents a video news report (six minutes) covering public testimony at a City Council Committee meeting on Information & Technology Agency held on Tuesday, January 27, 2009. The video reveals public concerns and distrust as to how the City has been using multi-millions in cable and video franchise fees. Among those testifying in the video at the public hearing are:

• David R. Hernandez, President L.A. Public Access Coalition
• Arlene Peck, Journalist- Public Access Producer

PUBLIC CHANNELS MANDATED: Multimillions of dollars in Franchise fees have been paid each year to the City by Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications and now ATT, Verizon and other telecom companies. The fees are from gross revenues from monthly subscribers who pay for an array of cable and video channels, that by law are supposed to include public access (PEG) channels.

COUNCIL TO SUE ATT ON PEG CHANNEL DELIVERY? The City Council Committee meeting on Information & Technology Agency has sent two measures to the full City Council to decide on Tuesday February 4, 2009. Here is report on committee action that recommends the Council abolish the board of Information Technology Commissioners and to file legal action against ATT (see report here) for non-compliance in providing DIVCA required public access video channels.

L A Mayor's Gang Money Controlled By Anonymous Committee: Watch Video Here (11 min)

Los Angeles, CA. According to a December 23, 2008 report written by Daniel Heimpel, Investigative Journalist in the L A Weekly publication L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa’s new gang prevention and intervention program is going to protect the identity of fifty individuals who will be deciding which non-profit gang organizations will get generous city grants for prevention and intervention activities, only in the high violence areas of the City.

WATCH VIDEO HERE
The Full Disclosure Network® presents an eleven minute exclusive video news blog revealing how approximately $24 million taxpayer dollars will be doled out to groups that have both gang members and former gang members on their staffs. The area targeted is the high violence areas of the city, according to the City's new Gang Czar. When told that the committee selecting the gang organizations to receive grants was going to remain anonymous Heimpel described the plan as "fishy".

Appearing in the video:

• Rev. Jeff Carr, Gang Czar and Los Angeles Deputy Mayor


• Daniel Heimpel, L A Weekly Investigative Journalist


• Leslie Dutton, Host, Full Disclosure Network

REPORTER DEPICTS THE INTERVIEW
In the video Heimpel describes his interview with Rev. Jeff Carr and his response to the questions raised about the unusual procedures being used the Mayors office to select the grant recipients, which any effort toward providing transparency.

REDEEMED GANG MEMBERS
Rev. Carr describes the Mayor’s gang program and the prevention and intervention strategies and reassures Full Disclosure that the young adults working in the program would include persons who have been incarcerated but who have been redeemed.

ABC Nightline Exposes Full Disclosure & Public Access Controversy: Video (5 min)

Los Angeles, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® presents a five minute exclusive video report on the ABC Nightline segment videotaped Tuesday, December 16th covering the campaign to save the public access cable channels with behind the scenes footage from the ABC interview with Leslie Dutton. The ABC Nightline segment will air nationwide on January 9, 2009 at 11:30 p.m.

APPEAL TO ATTORNEY GENERAL:

Host Leslie Dutton tells ABC Nightline that the independent producers’ have begun a campaign to enlist the California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to file for emergency injunctive relief to stop Time Warner Cable from shutting down 14 public access studios and channels on December 31, 2008. These public channels been serving cable subscribers and producers in Los Angeles for over 25 years.

Among the groups and individuals sending letters to the Attorney General are:

• Los Angeles Public Access Coalition, David Hernandez, President
• The Caucus of Producers, Writers, Directors & the New Media
• Full Disclosure Network, Leslie Dutton
• PEG Access Support Groups: alliance-announce@lists.alliancecm.org; access-forum@lists.alliancecm.org; ACM-West@yahoogroups.com

CONTROL OF PUBLIC CHANNELS:
With the apparent approval of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the public access issue languished, without Council attention or concern, for almost two years until the Time Warner deadline approached and the Holiday Season arrived. With very little time for the public to react, only then did the City Council push through plans to consolidate the 14 public access cable channels into four channels under government control and they failed to provide for even one dedicated public channel.

AFTER THOUGHT:
Instead when the public objected , the Council approved an “after thought”, verbal motion that was sent to the Budget and Finance Committee requesting an investigation into possible funding. No date has been set for a hearing before the Budget & Finance Committee, nor is it know if there search for funding has begun. See Council file here: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2006/06-2818_ca_12-03-08.pdf

SEND AUTOMATED LETTER TO AG:
At the end of the video viewers are asked to send an automated letter to the Attorney General using a link below the video screen on the webpage. The letter urges the AG to file for injunctive relief under the Business & Professions code 17200, Sec. 3 to prevent Time Warner from shutting down the City's public access channels and studios, until such time as the City has replaced the facilities.