Two judges from the Beverly Hills Justice Center in Los Angeles County were disciplined by an oversight committee for the manner in which they handled proceedings in Lindsey Lohan’s DUI case. Judge Marsha Revel was disciplined because she improperly met alone with an attorney who wanted to take over Lohan’s DUI case in 2010. Judge Elden Fox was disciplined because he improperly denied Lohan bail on a minor charge and refused to hear the arguments of Lohan’s attorneys.
It is not proper for a judge to meet either the prosecutor or a defense attorney alone. The reason for the rule is to prevent the judge from showing bias to one side or the other. However, I have had several cases before Judge Revel, and I have found her to be honest and reasonable. I am confident that her mistake was in good faith.
Judge Fox’s mistake was to deny bail when bail is required in all cases except capital offenses. For a detailed explanation of all the rules regarding bail, go to the FAQ section of our website.