Will Rory Kalin get fair coverage and a trial in Humboldt County?

 

The Rory Kalin lawsuits are not just about an incident. They are about truth. In any court case, the facts and all the truth do not come out.

In court, there are rules, there is evidence. Justice depends on rulings a Judge makes. Justice being blind is nice ideal; it is not reality. The Kalin lawsuits are in the initial phase. His attorney, Mr. Jonathan Hornberger spoke about personal history and made claims about alleged collusion.

That personal history is relevant. Especially in this lawsuit because it involves a Judge, two public defenders and all their connections in a small, rural County where silencing the truth is just business as usual.

This lawsuit is more than a local Judge hanging out with local Public Defenders. It is what affects people's lives and justice in Humboldt on a regular basis. In court when you listen to this case, in media when you read about this case, regular readers know where to go for the inside scoop and relevant information about Humboldt; especially the courts.

It involves taking a closer look at the first lawsuit by Kalin and "defendant Elvine-Kreis."

What exactly qualifies Judge Gregory  Elvine-Kreis to represent the Humboldt Superior Court of California as an advisory member on the California Tribal Court-State Court Forum?

Why not Judge Joyce Hinrichs or Judge Christopher Wilson? 

Judge Hinrichs has served as an advisory member on many committees on the California Judicial Council. Judge Hinrichs' involvement was key in the creation of the Family Wellness Court which is a cross jurisdictional court with Yurok Tribal Court.

I personally know and have seen Judge Wilson oversee cases including those involving the Indian Child Welfare Act. He is meticulous. 

What, if any, connections with former Governor Jerry Brown led to the appointment of Elvine-Kreis as a Judge? What if any connections does he have to Governor Gavin Newsom? That is how Judges are appointed. No one is naive about how political appointments happen.

I have seen all the"newer" Judges in court as lawyers including Judge Elvine-Kreis. I have seen them all as Judges. 

Those back of the room connections as well as the personal history with the local public defenders and private defense attorneys that Rory Kalin's attorney, Jonathan Hornberger mentioned in court, are relevant since Judge Elvine-Kreis is currently a defendant in a case where serious claims, including anti-semitism have been made. Those personal history and individual connections are common knowledge to many in the community and to those at the Courthouse. 

I was the only one to post about Judge Elvine-Kreis being investigated by the California Commission on Judicial Performance in connection to the Rory Kalin lawsuit. The CCJP does not confirm, comment or release information unless they are ready to make anything public. There are also private admonishments and they are confidential.

Sai Rose is a vexatious litigant. His suing Judge Elvine-Kreis is not helpful, especially since a restraining order was granted against him. But  Rose did win an appeal. You have to look at some of Rose's claims in context with other information.

Unfortunately, the one appeal Rose won is a family law case and confidential and with no access to e court or the clerk's office right now, it is very difficult to check who the Judge was in the case and what ruling was appealed? Judge Elvine-Kreis has heard family law cases involving Rose.

People can be unhappy with a Judge's rulings but Kalin's lawsuits are not about rulings. Whether Judge Elvine-Kreis deserves that stature isn't about a ruling or some rulings. You cannot base your opinion about a Judge on a ruling unless it is based on some blatant violation of procedure and law and you have a legal basis. However, a Judge's rulings and conduct in and outside court are pertinent to these lawsuits because they give insight into the Judge's character.

Whether it is Judge Elvine-Kreis or any party in a lawsuit, you have to look at facts, evidence. If Kalin prevails and the allegations in his lawsuits are proved, Elvine-Kreis is an individual and one who is a Judge in a position of power with authority to bring justice or destroy someone's life. 

There is only one Humboldt judge facing some very serious allegations in the Kalin lawsuits. I don't recall any other local judge being sued.

Only one judge who is being sued and about whom there are also a lot of private whispers about his conduct in and outside court. 

In a small town, who is going to come forward and state anything in public? People see the repercussions against those who speak up.

Two previous Humboldt Superior Court Judges were publicly admonished by the California Commission on Judicial Performance. What they were admonished for was different. 

Why has the California Commission on Judicial Performance been completely silent on Elvine-Kreis? The allegations in the Kalin lawsuits are serious;  if they are found to be true.

I am sure the CA Judicial Council is aware of the Kalin lawsuits. It involves a Humboldt Judge, the current Public Defender and Deputy Public Defender. None of the allegations have been proven true nor has there been any ruling but this is a small community and the impact on people's lives by this lawsuit is occuring daily. Does the CA Judicial Council pay attention to any issues and concerns in local California courts? The CA Judicial Council cannot even be bothered with the regular lack of access, transparency and due process violations due to Zoom court and COVID restrictions.

What is the CCJP and the CA Judicial Council doing to safeguard that Kalin gets a fair trial and that other people feel safe to speak up? 

This lawsuit involves Court and County employees. Will the state, CCJP and CA Judicial be absent like they have about everything else in Humboldt that requires their attention?

The Kalin lawsuits are getting attention outside Humboldt. People in California and the nation reading about this case. 

There should be regional and national coverage of this lawsuit. For many reasons. The major one being that outside scrutiny is what gets the state, Humboldt government, Humboldt Superior court and the local establishment's attention. 

Recently, Lost Coast Outpost did a half ass piece about a North Coast Journal County ad and alleged connection to editorial content. LOCO calling out NCJ is the pot calling the kettle black. Small town history and conflicts can be alleged by anyone but these two publications have no business calling anyone out. 

Thad Greenson's chumminess with former DA and local attorney Paul Gallegos and the Public Defender's office and NCJ's bias towards Kalin's former attorney Cyndy Day Wilson is relevant. 

LOCO's Rhonda Parker being married to Greg Rael, a local criminal defense attorney should receive extra scrutiny,especially if they cover the Kalin lawsuits. Times Standard has no clue or motivation to dig deeper into the Kalin lawsuits or expose all the Humboldt interconnectedness behind the court documents. They can barely get the facts right in court coverage unless they get an email or read other court coverage. 

Let's see how other local media cover the Kalin suit and if they are willing to be tools for either party and their connections. 

Why is LOCO not more forthcoming about their ownership or any changes in who is invested in LOCO and the monopoly they have with the Lost Coast Communications? Is Patrick Cleary still involved and how much? 

Someone who no longer works at a local marketing agency used a word to describe Greenson and his "reporting" that may surprise him.  I remember the exact place I had that conversation as well as other conversations I have had about LOCO, NCJ and other local media with people. All these people don't have the guts to say what they tell me to LOCO and NCJ because that is the Humboldt way. Two faced, full of fear and anonymous attacks and venting. They are afraid of the trolls and the Humboldt online stalkers. Yet, when anyone wants investigation or to expose corruption, wrongdoing, inform the public, they come to me. Why do those people read or advertise or share anything by the very media they criticize? 

The comments about Judge Elvine-Kreis in The Robing Room are hilarious and mostly anonymous. The one from an alleged Trump supporter obviously does not know Elvine-Kreis' political leanings. Anything Fred Fletcher writes should be completely disregarded. The ones singing his praises are obvious. Some of the ones criticizing him are also written with bias but there are a few comments that raise concerns and are similar to the whisperings and allegations in the Kalin lawsuit. Of the current bench, there are no comments for any other Humboldt judge except one for Judge Hinrichs and two for Judge Wilson. The comments about Judge Hinrichs and Judge Wilson are critical and allegedly by a defense lawyer but they are not bad and not as many for Judge Elvine-Kreis.

Regardless of the allegations in the lawsuits and the eventual outcome;  as a Judge, Elvine-Kreis has no business hanging out with attorneys whose cases he hears or could preside over. 

Related posts:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/02/i-am-inclined-to-deny-it-on-all-grounds.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2020/05/humboldt-county-superior-court-judge.html?m=1