John Chiv: Private attorneys and public defenders disqualifying Judge Elvine-Kreis on case after case and the impact on Humboldt Superior Court

Apr 9, 2022

Private attorneys and public defenders disqualifying Judge Elvine-Kreis on case after case and the impact on Humboldt Superior Court

(Sotolongo)

Does anyone even remember or care about murder suspect Gearold Sotolongo's 2016 case other than the victim's family?

There have been numerous continuances in the case. There is an intervention scheduled for 4/13. Trial confirmation was rescheduled for 4/18/22 and jury trial 5/2/22.

Sotolongo is charged with one count murder and special allegation use of a deadly weapon.

The more significant news is Judge Gregory Elvine-Kreis has been disqualified from Sotolongo's case by his attorney, Mr. Zach Curtis. Deputy Conflict Counsel April Van Dyke disqualified Judge Elvine-Kreis in Michael Valls case.

Mr. Russ Clanton disqualified Judge Elvine-Kreis in Ryan Tanner case. If Clanton who has represented the most vile and more convicted child molestors than anyone in Humboldt disqualifies you as a Judge, that speaks volumes.

Judges do get disqualified from cases but the number of cases and attorneys filing motions against Judge Elvine-Kreis is unusual and significant.

At the beginning of this year, Judge Kelly Neel and Judge Elvine-Kreis were going to hear all trials and other Judges had their assignments. I reported on this Humboldt Superior Court decision. With Elvine-Kreis being disqualified, that throws the already dysfunctional and backlogged Humboldt system in chaos. It puts an undue burden on Assistant Presiding Judge Kelly Neel and other Humboldt Judges because they have to hear more jury trials.

What does Elvine-Kreis do to earn his salary? When he was in family court, there were mostly days with half calendars, he was gone a lot and now as Presiding Judge, I have written about dark days during trials, his courtroom closed frequently.

He walks around the second floor more than any other Judge. He is rude to jurors, attorneys, pro per parties and his behavior is unbecoming and unworthy as a Judge and he was the same as an attorney.

According to govsalaries, in 2019,Humboldt Superior Court Judges were making $210,094. A lot more than some other Judges in California. I was told that his salary for 2022 is around $260,000.

Besides money, what is Elvine-Kreis costing Humboldt? Elvine-Kreis' chummy relationship with certain Public Defenders is an important factor in your vote for Judge and DA in this upcoming election. Do your research, check those endorsements and if you read my blog regularly, you already know about those connections.

Ask Deputy Public Defender Adrian Kamada about his relationship with Judge Elvine-Kreis and ask him what he thinks of his colleagues disqualifying Judge Elvine-Kreis.

The California Judicial Council and Commission on Judicial Performance sit around doing nothing while this incompetent, embarassment gets to be Humboldt's Presiding Judge. Until his lawsuit and the investigation by the CJP is complete, Elvine-Kreis should have never been allowed to be Presiding Judge.

Judge Elvine-Kreis needs to be removed from the bench and never allowed to practice law. If you haven't read about the lawsuit filed against him, the Ben Erickson case and my other posts, for the nth time, read the rest of the post.

The Ben Erickson case I wrote about his just one example. I have written about specific cases on my blog and had to turn down several people because I don't have the time to research and cover every disaster and ruling by Judge Elvine-Kreis nor is it my job to fix what Humboldt Superior Court administration, CJC or CJP should be overseeing and investigating.

I am the only one covering the lawsuit by former Public Defender Rory Kalin against Judge Elvine-Kreis, former Public Defender Marek Reavis and current Public Defender Luke Brownfield with allegations of Jewish slurs, Elvine-Kreis' inappropriate behavior with women, including married women. Kalin isn't the only who has made claims about Elvine-Kreis' behavior with women.

I am the only one covering Judge Elvine-Kreis' divorce case, which has been conveniently moved to Sacramento Superior Court. A long time court employee was "fired"/"let go" because she spoke about Elvine-Kreis' "alleged" relationship with a female court employee while he was married.The employee settled with Humboldt Superior Court.

I did this post in March 11, 2021. Brenda Elvine-Kreis liked my Facebook page after the post. I have included two paragraphs from that post.

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/03/if-this-is-just-gossip-about-judge-why.html?m=1

"There is currently an investigation going on about a court employee allegedly gossiping about Judge Elvine-Kreis having an affair with another court employee. I won't put any other details because it would identify the woman. Judge Elvine-Kreis and his wife were briefly separated. Whether it was because of this alleged affair, the Rory Kalin lawsuit allegations or something else, who knows?"

"Judge Elvine-Kreis has brought a lot of embarassment and national attention to Humboldt Superior Court. If this is just gossip about a Judge, why are funds being used to investigate something that is the preferred pastime in Humboldt? Unless it is an effort to silence people?"

Both Elvine-Kreis and the female employee filed for divorce at the same time. Hopefully, that won't disappear from e court records.

Married men and women having affairs including with co-workers and subordinates happens so frequently in Humboldt that I could have a separate blog and never run out of material. That isn't news.

What is news is when you are a Judge passing judgement and incorrectly condemning others daily in family law, civil, criminal cases and you lack morals and character and are a disgrace to your profession.

This is a small town and apparently some liberal attorneys and other men have the Ted Cruz syndrome. And the wives still remain married to these men? What is with certain "liberal" attorneys marrying wives from conservative families that their liberal base is clueless about? It certainly has allowed these attorneys access to circles, people and events they would never have otherwise.

With this lawsuit constantly being delayed and the CJP dragging their feet on the investigation, is there the same justice and standards for this Judge compared to your average Joe or Jane defendant? If the case does not go to trial, we will never know what was said in those depositions and discovery.

How many employees have been let go or left voluntarily from the Humboldt Superior Court and why they left will never be investigated because of the same issues with Humboldt County and employees who leave. Same challenges with evidence or people coming forth publicly.

Meanwhile a private, male defense attorney and others have been talking the same smack the former employee said but are going further spreading more unsubstantiated rumors and innuendos about Judge Elvine-Kreis, his wife Brenda and others in the Humboldt legal community to people including a defendant who has Judge Elvine-Kreis presiding over his case.

This person contacted me. I had never heard this information about Judge Elvine-Kreis but it would not surprise me if it turned out to true if it was confirmed by someone reliable and my own research. I don't trust this two faced attorney, the person who contacted me nor am I interested in hearsay being conveyed to me from some random third or fourth party with no proof about alleged claims.

Just like the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, the Humboldt Superior Court has employee attrition, toxic environment and the cost to the taxpayers and public is ignored because we have a state, legislature and agencies that could care less about justice, transparency and accountability. The BOS and Judges get hundreds and thousands of dollars. Humboldt deserves more than the five clowns currently on the BOS and deserves a Judge who is worthy of the robe.

4/13: At intervention, dates confirmed. Defense and People agreed that May 13 will be dark. Time estimate of 4-6 weeks.

4/18: At trial confirmation, jury trial for 5/2 confirmed.

Previous post on Sotolongo:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/04/defense-wants-continuance-of-2016.html?m=1#more

Related posts on Elvine-Kreis:

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/04/jury-trial-for-humboldt-judge-former.html?m=1#more

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/02/kalin-vs-judge-elvine-kreis-case.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2022/01/will-there-actually-be-trial-or-will.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/07/judge-elvine-kreis-divorce-case-and.html?m=1#more

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/05/judge-moorman-makes-disclosure-about.html?m=1

https://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2021/02/will-rory-kalin-get-fair-coverage-and.html?m=1

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