Judge Admonished for ‘Abusive’ Behavior

The California Commission on Judicial Performance on Wednesday publicly admonished Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Alexander H. Williams III because of a Nov. 17, 1995 incident in which the judge “used profanity, made a vulgar gesture and threatened retaliation” against lawyers in a case pending before him, according to a statement issued by the commission.

The statement said that during a break in a pretrial settlement conference, Williams left the courtroom and approached attorney Gilbert Moreno, who represented the Los Angeles County Chicano Employees Assn.

“Using a loud and angry voice, Judge Williams stated words to the effect of: ‘Your demand for money is bull----. If you keep making this demand, you can stick it right here,’ while gesturing toward his buttocks with rolled up paper,” the commission said.

According to the commission, which called Williams’ actions “abusive,” the judge told Moreno and his co-counsel, “if you think you are going to get money out of this case, you’ve got ---- for brains. If you want war, you’ll get war. And if you still think you’re going to get money, I’ve got a Brooklyn Bridge I can sell you.”