Ethical Concerns: The Law’s Demands on Disclosure
Under California law, judges are required to disclose any professional or personal relationships with attorneys involved in the cases they preside over. This includes membership in organizations like the American Inns of Court. Failure to disclose these associations could be a violation of judicial ethics, jeopardizing a case’s fairness and transparency. Unfortunately, members of the Santa Clara chapter and other branches of the Inns are reportedly not adhering to these rules, a matter that could have serious implications for due process.
Justice Patricia Bamattre Manoukian, one of the prominent judges associated with the group, was among those who attended the exclusive 2024 dinner at the Adobe Lodge on the Santa Clara University campus. Videos of such events, typically prohibited by the group, have recently surfaced on social media, showing the gatherings in full swing. With over a million views on TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter, these videos are forcing the public to reckon with the hidden influence wielded by this elite circle of legal professionals.
In some cases, judges have failed to disclose their membership, despite the clear legal obligation to recuse themselves from cases where conflicts of interest might exist. The California Code of Judicial Ethics and Rules of Court mandate this transparency to prevent the appearance of bias in cases where a judge may have a vested interest in the outcome. When judges don’t follow these protocols, it undermines the integrity of the judicial process and damages the public’s trust in the legal system.
