Opinion ID: 1444402
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Count One G: Ex Parte Contacts Regarding Bench Warrants

Text: The Commission alleged that, on numerous occasions, petitioner telephoned defendants, including defendants [he] knew, for whom bench warrants had been issued to advise them to come to court. In his answer and testimony, petitioner, admitted that he made these calls approximately 25 to 30 times. Petitioner explained that he informed these individuals the court was processing a warrant on them and that the warrant would not issue if they appeared in court. Before placing the calls, petitioner did not inform the district attorney or determine whether the individuals had counsel. Nor did he ask about this latter fact during the calls. In petitioner's view, this practice saved time for the understaffed clerk's office, by eliminating the need to process warrants for those who responded to petitioner's calls. Petitioner discontinued this practice when another judge informed him that it might violate the separation of powers doctrine and create conflicts. We agree with the Commission's unanimous finding that petitioner committed prejudicial misconduct in making these ex parte contacts. Petitioner should not have conducted court business through informal, ex parte contacts over the telephone. (See former Cal.Code Jud. Conduct, canon 3A(4), as adopted eff. Jan. 1, 1975, see now Cal.Code Jud. Ethics, canon 3B(7).) In his petition, petitioner insists that his primary motivation was to clear up improper arrest warrants for persons who were not lawfully subject to arrest. The evidence does not support this contention, but shows instead that petitioner simply believed that his informal handling of these warrants was the most efficient way to conduct the court's business. In any event, petitioner's speculation that maybe some of [the arrest warrants] were improper does not excuse his decision to address this problem through ex parte telephone contacts.