‘Like the Russian mafia’: LA judge elections see unusual drama

A judge claims his colleagues have adopted a “gangster mentality” to silence him.

Another compared the state board accusing him of serious misconduct to the “Russian mafia”.

Judicial elections are generally sleepy affairs, subject to little political fanfare or interest. But two battles over the June ballot in Los Angeles have raised the temperature this campaign season and raised questions about how far insular local bench members will go to protect themselves.

Lawyers who want to become judges often run for open seats. However, challengers in these races say they have specifically targeted incumbents they believe are ineligible for office, with annual salaries exceeding $244,000.

One of the contests could oust 84-year-old Judge Robert Draper, who is seeking re-election despite living without a computer or caseload for the past three years in a room at the Santa Monica Courthouse that two other judges described to The Times as a “closet.”

In 2023, then-Presiding Judge Samantha Jessner said that Draper was “unable to perform the duties and responsibilities of a judge” due to deteriorating mental and physical health, according to a letter sent to the state Commission on Judicial Performance.

In an interview with The Times Draper denied all wrongdoing and said that although he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he is still fit for the bench. He has also been accused of sexual harassment and making inappropriate and biased remarks by the Judicial Commission. He is opposing those claims. A hearing that could result in his removal began on Monday and is expected to last until early May.

The other sitting judge fighting to keep his seat is Pat Connolly, 61, a former prosecutor who has received endorsements from several other sitting L.A. County judges. But his opponent, Deputy Dist. Atty. Paul Thompson has called Connolly a “rogue judge” who needs to be replaced.

According to state Judicial Commission records, Connolly has been disciplined multiple times during his 18-year judicial tenure for inappropriate comments toward litigants and for displaying bias against a defense attorney in a case against whom he was pursuing contempt charges.

Thompson, who gained notoriety for her role in winning a rape conviction against Harvey Weinstein, purchased the rights to the domain name “patconnolly4judge.com”, which now redirects to a warning from Connolly’s commission.

Thompson, who is endorsed by the L.A. County Democratic Party, said, “What I see is a man who has repeatedly prioritized the goodwill of the community and the public he serves… a man who has been disciplined time and again for putting his own interests first.”

In a bizarre twist, the race was linked to the recent firings at the White House Correspondents’ Association. The dinner after conservative influencers posted a photo of a Thompson campaign sign on the Torrance lawn of suspected gunman, Cole Thomas Allen.

Thompson lives next door to the Allen family and described the suspect’s parents as great neighbors. He said he did not know his son and dismissed “Internet trolls” trying to link his campaign to political violence.

This year’s election has sparked discussion about the unwavering support that sitting judges enjoy among their colleagues.

State election finance records show that despite concerns about Draper’s health, a political action committee run by fellow judges gave $72,500 to his campaign. The PAC gave the same amount to Connolly.

Judge Maria Lucy Armendariz, who oversees the PAC, did not respond to calls seeking comment.

“The PAC has some explaining to do here. Why this show of support for someone who is facing so many challenges?” asked former federal prosecutor Laurie Levenson, who now teaches at Loyola Law School. “It doesn’t make a good impression on the bench.”

Sub Dist. Atty. Tal Khan Valbuena in Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Draper’s opponent is Deputy Dist. Atty. Tal Khan Valbuena, a refugee from Pakistan who works at the Hollywood Mental Health Court. Khan Valbuena believes his experience as a gay Muslim who has faced radicalization will bring a compassionate approach to a bench some complain is overrun with old-school tough-on-crime prosecutors.

But he also expressed concern about Draper’s mental decline after meeting them for lunch earlier this year.

“His honor exemplified disordered thought behavior, percussive thought … things that I see day to day (in mental health court),” Khan Valbuena said, acknowledging that he is not a doctor.

Los Angeles County Bar Association. released its ratings for each judicial candidate last week. Connolly was rated best among judges in the controversial race, described as “well-deserved”. Thompson and Khan Walubena were given “qualified” status. Draper was one of only three candidates ruled “ineligible”.

In 2022, Judge Eric Taylor said he noticed a sharp change in Draper’s behavior, including sending “abusive” and “incoherent” e-mails to colleagues that included racist and profane language, according to a letter sent by Taylor to the state Judicial Commission.

Taylor wrote, “He has demonstrated a clear command of reality.”

Draper was accused of sexual harassment, racist comments and insensitive behavior during a hearing. According to the state judicial complaint and testimony at Draper’s removal hearing on Monday, the judge allegedly caressed a female lawyer’s hair after talking to a black lawyer about “black history, black football players, the Civil Rights Act and the Black Lives Matter movement,” even though the case had nothing to do with those issues.

Judge Robert Draper outside the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Los Angeles.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Later that same day in chambers, he made lewd comments to a group of female lawyers while reflecting on his time as a civil lawyer, recalling how male lawyers used to ridicule female secretaries, insisting that they learn to “f” better than type, according to testimony given by attorney Janice Brown at Draper’s hearing.

Brown told the review panel that Draper’s behavior “appalled” and “shocked” him.

Draper denied much of what was in the complaint. He says he never touched any lawyer’s hair, and the comments about black culture were meant to express pride in racial progress in America. He criticized the commission on judicial performance.

“It’s like the Russian mafia, it’s like Germany,” he said. “There is no due process for any judge.”

Draper’s attorney, Ashley Posner, said her client regularly climbed seven flights of stairs when he was assigned to the downtown Stanley Mosquear Courthouse and stayed sharp.

Posner said, “Things were designed to portray him in the worst possible image… He’s been portrayed as a radical. He’s been portrayed as philandering and deranged, who couldn’t be further from the truth.”

In court on Monday, Posner suggested the complaint was part of a broader campaign to force Draper to retire and accused the L.A. County Superior Court leadership of ageism. A court spokesman said he could not comment on personnel matters.

The race between Connolly and Thompson has also focused largely on alleged misconduct.

Connolly’s previous warnings by the state commission include complaints he yelled at attorneys for appearing remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The judge also told the recently acquitted defendant that he knew the man was guilty, records show.

Connolly said, “I don’t think it’s so much what I said as what I said. I think he objected to the words I used.” He said he has never been accused of ethical violations or moral impropriety.

LA County Superior Court Judge Pat Connolly at the Compton Courthouse.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

A legal expert questioned Connolly’s propriety in 2023, seeking to disqualify a fellow judge from ruling on a petition to punish a convicted policeman killer whom Connolly had prosecuted in the late 2000s. The state commission is also currently reviewing two additional complaints against Connolly, according to e-mails seen by The Times. Connolly said he could not comment on any situation.

In an interview with The Times, Connolly said he was surprised by the “poison” injected into the race by Thompson.

He said he sees himself as an impartial jurist who specializes in finding creative solutions to cases that balance public safety and alternatives to incarceration. In 2022, court records show, he negotiated a plea deal for an NFL player facing prison time on weapons charges, ordering him to conduct sports camps for disadvantaged youth.

He said, “I am one of those people who listens to both sides, who gives both sides a chance to present their views.”

Connolly has the endorsement of several sitting judges and law enforcement leaders, including former Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley and the head of the court’s criminal division, Ricardo Ocampo.

Thompson says some of Connolly’s colleagues on the bench have come out behind his supporters.

When Thompson launched his campaign, he published an endorsement of LA County Superior Court Judge Scott Yang on his campaign website. Within a few weeks, Thompson said, Yang asked him to withdraw his endorsement, claiming he was being pressured by other judges.

Yang, who presides over a court in the Antelope Valley, said his colleagues on the bench demonstrated a “gangster mentality” when he asked them to withdraw their support in the judicial election, according to a text message reviewed by The Times.

“They were going to target him. They were going to attack him. They were going to potentially make false disciplinary reports around him,” Thompson said.

Connolly has not been charged with any involvement in the alleged harassment and declined to discuss the matter. Yang did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A court spokesperson said they had not received any reports of threats made against Yang, but a law enforcement source said Yang told them he had been harassed by fellow judges over his support of Thompson. The source spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution from the bench.

The conflict has prompted whispers among L.A. County judges, one of whom requested anonymity due to concerns of backlash if he speaks publicly. Hearing about the threats against Yang caused some people to fear that they too might face retaliation for breaking ranks, the judge said.

“This is completely worrying,” the judge said. “How different is it from the Deputy Gang?”