Former Carson Mayor Albert Robles Will Run for L.A. Superior Court Judge Seat

Albert Robles.

February 18, 2022

By Brian Hews

Albert Robles, former Mayor of Carson and WRD President, will challenge Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carol Elswick, recent filings show.

Robles filed a declaration of intent to run for Office Number 156.

“I will unseat the judge in the June 7 primary based on a public admonishment she incurred in 2018.”

Discipline of Elswick
Court watchdog, The Commission on Judicial Performance (“CJP”) said in its decision on Elswick “Judge Elswick has engaged in numerous incidents of misconduct over a three-year period. In the commission’s view, the judge’s misconduct involving abuse of authority and disregard of the defendants’ fundamental rights, resulting in deprivation of liberty, is particularly serious.”

CJP Summary
In its decision, the CJP slammed Elswick, “Judge Elswick has been a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2000. The commission found that in three misdemeanor probation cases, Judge Elswick improperly remanded the defendant and delayed setting a revocation hearing until after the defendant served a predetermined sentence of jail time, which conveyed the appearance that the judge was circumventing the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department’s early release program.

“In addition, the judge improperly responded to a peremptory challenge filed pursuant to section 170.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, was discourteous to several criminal defendants, and improperly referenced her personal life when discussing the ability of some defendants to pay fines.

The CJP concluded that Judge Elswick “disregarded the fundamental rights of defendants, abused her authority, conveyed the appearance of bias and prejudgment, and violated the Code of Judicial Ethics.”

Robles commented, “How is she still a judge?” There might be one reason.

ETHICAL? The LA Judges Committee, a look at documents indicates all donations are by California Judges.

Robles said a Los Angeles Superior Court judges’ Political Action Committee has more than $300,000 in its coffers, used for those who challenge incumbents.

Robles told HMG-CN, “experts tell me it will take about a two-hundred to two-hundred-fifty thousand.” I don’t have that in my pocket, but I intend to raise it.”

Elswick did not respond to a request for comment.