Appeals court deletes language from ruling on Cory Briggs

Appeals court vindicates attorney Briggs
David Garrick 
San Diego Union-Tribune
Oct. 20, 2016


A state appeals court has deleted suggestions that local attorney Cory Briggs might have engaged in criminal behavior from a ruling the court issued last month.

An attorney for Briggs called the move by the Fourth District Court of Appeal a notable vindication for his client and a rare instance of a court correcting itself. “It’s extraordinarily unusual for a court to go back and modify its language in this respect,” said Paul Pfingst, Briggs’ lawyer and a former district attorney. “One has to appreciate the court was willing to acknowledge and correct its mistake. Cory is delighted the court withdrew some of that harsh language.”...

Investigators accuse Orange County D.A. of cover-ups, interfering with investigations

 Investigators accuse Orange County D.A. of cover-ups, interfering with investigations

Andrea Castillo

LAT
May 27, 2017

Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas and other officials interfered in multiple investigations and covered up criminal conduct by police, according to claims filed Friday by two investigators with the district attorney’s office.

In their filings, Tom Conklin and Abraham Santos cited three high-profile cases that they said officials had suppressed.

One involved a former Cypress Police Department investigator accused of committing perjury during a capital murder trial. Another case revolved around the alleged cover-up by Fullerton police of a former city manager’s drunk driving. Conklin and Santos said they were removed from the investigation into a third case, involving a man who they believed was planning a “Sandy Hook”-level mass shooting.

The whistle-blower claims are precursors to a lawsuit...

Judge in fatal love triangle gets 6-month suspension

December 30, 2001

Chicago Tribune

LANSING, MICHIGAN — The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that a judge accused of steering business to her defense lawyer-lover who later murdered his pregnant wife be suspended for 6 months without pay.
In a 29-page decision Friday, the court revised a proposal by the Judicial Tenure Commission that Warren District Judge Susan Chrzanowski serve a year's suspension without pay.

Her attorney, Brian Einhorn, said he was disappointed but not surprised by the decision.
"It's disappointing that she's going to be off the bench for as long as she will be," he said.
Chrzanowski has been on paid leave since July 2000, when Hazel Park attorney Michael Fletcher was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder in the shooting death of his pregnant wife, Leann.
Chrzanowski is accused of assigning 56 cases to Fletcher during their two-year affair and initially lying to police about her relationship with him.
The court ruled that Chrzanowski's penalty will start Jan. 1 to give her credit for the 17-month interim suspension already served.