Years before a federal lawsuit brought her name into the national spotlight, a group of advocates and concerned parents known as the California Protective Mothers of Solano County tried to have Judge Christine Carringer impeached. Their petition to the California Assembly alleged a pattern of gross misconduct and abuse of judicial power.
The petition accused Judge Carringer of judicial misconduct, engaging in crimes under the Color of Law, and using her office to deliberately harm people.
A Pattern of Alleged Misconduct
The petition documented numerous examples of what advocates called a pattern of bias against female parents, survivors of domestic violence, and children. The petitioners asserted that Judge Carringer:
- Routinely placed mothers on supervised visitation with no history of abuse, while awarding 100% custody to “documented repeat abusers.”
- Disregarded the law by allegedly ignoring the UCCJEA and giving a child back to an “unrepentant, suicidal abuser.”
- Dismissed an emergency protective order and gave a father with a history of child molestation sole custody.
- Threatened litigants who brought up claims of abuse.
The petition also raised questions about a $300,000 grant from the Department of Justice for Violence Against Women that Judge Carringer and retired Judge Garry Ichikawa were allegedly unable to account for.
Why Impeachment Instead of a Complaint?
The petitioners chose the extraordinary step of seeking impeachment because they argued that the usual oversight body, the Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP), was not transparent or effective. The petition included data showing that California’s CJP disciplines a far smaller percentage of judges than commissions in other states.
The petition also detailed personal misconduct allegations against Judge Carringer, including a prior DUI conviction and a restraining order from her own divorce. It claimed she was accused of falsifying evidence and altering court documents.
The impeachment effort was a powerful statement that a judge’s robe does not grant a license to ignore the law or endanger the lives of families.