We’re finally starting to see a tiny bit of snail-like movement over at the AOC. To be sure, digital purgatory is starting to look much better but there is still work to be done. There’s a series of rumors floating around in another thread that we’re also trying to confirm.
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As General Woodhull has pointed out, a few new toadies slated to get new courthouses if they tow the party line are now leading the strategic evaluation committee decimating any and all credibility of the group. It’s a foregone conclusion how that will go down. One only needs to look at the bottom of the digital purgatory page to see how highly conflicted people slated to get new courthouses vote on anything to slow down the AOC or any of their boondoggles. They can’t (or don’t want to) see the forest, unless it’s through a new courthouse window.
Now What?
After the reefer madness video that is chock full of body language that indicates that the woman doesn’t even believe in the snake oil she’s trying to sell to others, after Ron Overholt stepping down as the interim administrative director and a decision made to elevate Jody Patel to the new interim administrative director position, is this all leading to just another game of musical chairs or some meaningful change? Musical chairs seems to be the norm. Move the same players and insiders around and you get to declare “reform”, “game changer” and other descriptive titles of fallacy. By some accounts, Patel has been involved in a reorg for two years that hasn’t shed a single job, yet as we’ve pointed out before, 21% of the entire AOC’s workforce is responsible for managing people, creating a management to employee ratio of 3 employees to every one manager.
Trial courts have had to deal with real cuts that have resulted in real layoffs and real downsizing. They weren’t afforded the luxury of a strategic evaluation committee study or a two year reorg that does not shed a single job.
The chief now claims that she is focused on budget but how much do you really expect from her after her verbal carpet bombing of the state assembly or the AOC lobbyists like ‘elbow throwing’ Curt? Moreover, how do the trial courts have any assurance that they will see a dime of this money and that it won’t be hijacked to pay for more, new or different AOC boondoggles? iPads for everyone? More two thousand dollar light bulbs? More of a development pause for CCMS that wasn’t really a pause? More of a hiring freeze that only amounts to hiring more highly paid consultants?
What’s next, California? More ‘fact check’ fiction?
Related articles
- It’s time to restore balance (judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com)
- The Need to Treat the Legislature with Respect & commentary from JCW (judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com)
- The Rosenberg rebuttal – By Judge Robert Dukes (judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com)
- ACJ – Chief calls out Lawmakers; Overholt steps down (judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com)
- “Company Confidential” – The new paradigm in the AOC’s continued hiring binge (judicialcouncilwatcher.wordpress.com)
- Judicial Council Appoints Jody Patel Interim Admin. Director of Courts (yubanet.com)
Judicial Council Watcher 
Wendy Darling
February 13, 2012
There’s an old saying that past conduct is a good predictor of future behavior. Based on that, many of us are thinking it will be more “fact check fiction.”
You just can’t make this stuff up. Really.
Long live the ACJ.
Been There
February 13, 2012
I think a lot depends on whether or not the rumors on the other thread are confirmed. Two paths will be open: damage control or meaningful action. I hope for the latter, but fear the former will be the choice.
Wendy Darling
February 13, 2012
From all indicators, such as the Office of the Chief Justice praising Overholt and expressing regret at his resignation, is sure seems like damage control is already the path that has been chosen.
Long live the ACJ.
Been There
February 13, 2012
I do not want to monopolize this thread, but the greatest hindrance to meaningful change is a CJ who is, in the words of General Woodhall, Justce California, and Lando, in over her head. Rather than being able to lead, she has thus far only been able to react. And her default reaction has been to circle the wagons.
Many opportunities have been presented to her to meaningfully improve the courts, but she has wasted each opportunity. She has received good counsel, but she has ignored it.
JusticeCalifornia
February 13, 2012
While Cantil Sakauye is pointing to the changes made in 2011, let’s not forget that the ONLY reason there was a screeching halt to CCMS and those ridiculously expensive courthouses was that there was a FORCED change of priorities. Thanks to the ACJ, AOC Watcher, court employees, the legislature, the press and JCW, and so many other stakeholders.
In February 2011 Cantil Sakauye said: “When I am asked why we continue to invest in CCMS even in the face of budget reductions, my response is that I cannot think of a better investment in the future of our courts, or for that matter our courts here and now,” she said.
Click to access OC08-11.PDF
Cantil Sakauye has repeatedly said what she really thinks. What she is saying now is window dressing.
The same goes with her musical chairs. Let’s not forget legislators, who reviewed the scathing BSA CCMS report and held hearings about what was going on at the AOC, told her Vickrey needed to go. She keeps replacing one tainted administrator with another. Is that forward thinking “change”?
Change is clearly being FORCED on Cantil Sakauye and top leadership, and the fuel for that change is hard evidence of waste and mismanagement at the highest levels of the branch. If left to her own devices, there is no reason to believe Cantil Sakauye will do anything but continue with the George empire-building plan: Place faithful (to the CJ and old party line) members on the Judicial Council and key committees; place faithful (to the CJ and old party line) Court Executive Officers in every court; cleanse the court files of all incriminating data; rewrite history; get rid of experienced independent-minded employees and judges who know where the bodies are buried and/or have traditional notions and expectations of ethics, truth and justice in the third branch; and expand central control of the trial courts via administrative selection and control of presiding judges, and a ‘you scratch my back, I will scratch yours’ style of branch “leadership”.
Pretty much anyone who has been around the block the last decade or two can tell their own stories about this [failed] top leadership M.O. — which has gotten the branch into its current mess.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that the more top leadership circles the wagons, plays hide-the-ball, attacks dissenters, and engages inappropriately in hard-core politics to further its own agenda, the less credibility the branch AS A WHOLE has.
Unfortunately, the fact that Cantil Sakauye has called AB 1208 her personal “hill” and attacked legislators in the manner she did (and indeed has attacked legislators and dissenters from the moment she became chief justice) indicates that she lacks the experience, objectivity and diplomacy that a chief justice and branch leader MUST have.
antonatrail
February 13, 2012
Wow, JusticeCalifornia, you have succinctly and precisely said it all! Well done, good and faithful servant of a just and fair judiciary.
antonatrail
February 13, 2012
I’d like to reiterate, when I say “a just and fair judiciary,” I’m thinking of the judiciary Judge Stephen White of (I believe) Los Angeles county referred to when he said at a legislative hearing, paraphrasing, the AOC is NOT the judiciary, the JUDGES are the judiciary.
With the sensitive souls here in mind, I will not print what I think of the AOC.
Judicial Council Watcher
February 13, 2012
Judge White is a Sacramento judge. Feel free to express what you think of the AOC. They’re not even a corporation so they can’t rise to the level of a person.
Elmy Kader
February 13, 2012
From the break room not too far from SF among my coworkers, some good old Americans boys and I may add a lady as well, after a brief discussion we came up with the conclusion.
JCW don’t expect any meaningful action for the following reasons:
When we read the Chief Justice letter from the previous post it was unanimous among us that she did not mention a word of what’s in the best interest of the people (tax payers), also the reason why Ron Overholt on paid Administrative leave and his replacement of one of them (insider) Jody, because of the domino effect.
If Ron Overholt falls will expose one the biggest scandal in the history of California, so expect a great deal of cover-up and a spinning by the temp (JOY) and a full force of PR campaign by their flunkies, in another word don’t expect any meaningful action.
But we issue a challenge to the chief justice:
The current leader ship proven failure from the half a billion dollars computer fiasco to the millions of dollars spent of a failed program (case management) which is nothing but a toothless dog, to the twenty five hundred dollars closet paint job, to the inflated over priced construction of a Court house in Pittsburge, Contra Costa County that resemble a cheap hospital build in the slums of a poor third world country and the list goes on and on and on.
Chief we need a new faces admirable people to replace these scandals ‘judges. So we challenge you to select any judge from the Alliance of California Judges they all commendable judges.
Elmy Kader on behalf of his co-workers
antonatrail
February 13, 2012
“The first thing that should be done is the release of Justice Scotland’s SEC report, not just the vacuous “Executive Summary” that has been distributed, or the version that is being edited, revised, and rewritten by OGC, to be signed off by the Chief Justice’s appointed substitutes. But Scotland’s unredacted, non-sanitized, report.
After all, what is there to hide?” — Wendy Darling
The above is shamelessly copied from another thread on JCW.
Wouldn’t this be a good, next step? Has this report been requested by anyone yet? Let’s get the [bouncing] ball rollin’!
Wendy Darling
February 13, 2012
Copy away, Ant. It’s the message that’s important, not the poster.
Hey, maybe the feds could ask Ron Overholt for an unredacted, non-sanitized copy of Scotland’s report.
Long live the ACJ.
antonatrail
February 13, 2012
If ronO was offered mitigation, he’d probably go for it in a hot minute!
sharonkramer
February 13, 2012
I don’t see how it is possible they CAN change without admitting grave collective error. Its the epitome of the tale of the Emperor’s New Robe. If they admit they have been caught naked in the middle of a charade (I mean parade), they will all have to scurry off into the bushes and be forever shamed. Their only choice is to carry on with the procession and hope that 99% of the parade watchers will disbelieve their own eyes because what they saw was so outrageous, it was unbelievable.