California Punishes Judges for how they Handled Lohan's DUI Case

State oversight has recently disciplined two Los Angeles County judges for the way that they handled Lindsay Lohan’s notorious DUI which began in 2010. Official documents say that the judges at the Beverly Hills court house were reproached by the state Commission on Judicial Performance because of two incidents during the Lohan case. They say that they understand that the decisions came during a time of intense media attention, which can cloud judgment and merit added pressure.

The first of these instances involved a judge who met with the defense attorney who wanted to take over the case. Judges are not permitted to meet privately to talk about cases, so the action was reproached. As well, the other judge was reprimanded for denying the actress bail on a minor charge and refusing to hear her attorney’s arguments on the matter. Because of this, Lohan ended up in jail for two long weeks full of media coverage and celebrity gossip headlines.

An LA County spokesman was also accused of leaking information to the press in the Lohan case back in 2011. Eventually, the spokesman was fired for his actions, though he claimed that he was being discriminated against because of his depression. He said that he had never leaked any information about Lohan and the DUI situation to any of the waiting press representatives outside. However, this fired individual later wrote a letter saying that he had witnesses the impropriety of the judges.

The Commission on Judicial Performance rarely punishes the judges. In fact, the Los Angeles Times says that out of 1,138 complaints that were submitted in 2011, the Commission only disciplined for 42 of them. In almost every one of those cases the judge was disciplined in private. The fact is, judges aren’t perfect. If you are involved in a DUI case, you need a convincing DUI lawyer to make sure that your case is being treated as it should be. Talk to a criminal defense lawyer for more information.