Thursday, August 23, 2018

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CJP Censures Ex-Court Commissioner for Anti-Democratic Party Facebook Posts

By a MetNews Staff Writer

The Commission on Judicial Performance yesterday announced in a public censure of a former Kern Superior Court commissioner based on partisan political postings on his Facebook page, as well as non-political ones reflecting a conservative outlook.

The former bench officer, Joseph J. Gianquinto, stipulated to the censure, as well as a lifetime ban on holding judicial office.

The announcement says:

“In 2016 and 2017, while a court commissioner. Mr. Gianquinto engaged in dozens of instances of misconduct by posting and re-posting information on his public Facebook page that reflected, among other things. anti-Muslim sentiment, anti-immigration sentiment, anti-Native American sentiment, anti-gay marriage sentiment, a position on the controversial issue of shooting deaths by police officers, strong opposition to then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, contrasting praise for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, an accusation that President Obama was trying to transform the United States from a Judeo-Christian nation into Islam, a lack of respect for the federal justice system, and contempt for the poor.”

Gianquinto was not identified on the Facebook page as a Superior Court commissioner, but did use the name “Jj Gianquinto,” to disclose that he “works at Kern County,” and posted photographs of himself.

Among the posts were those below.

The commission’s decision says:

“Commissioner Gianquinto’s conduct as described herein violated canon 1 (judge shall uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary), canon 2 (judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety), canon 2A (judge shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary), canon 4A (judge shall conduct all of the judge’s extrajudicial activities so that they do not cast reasonable doubt on the judge’s capacity to act impartially or demean the judicial office), canon 5 (judge shall not engage in political activity that is inconsistent with the independence, integrity, or impartiality of the judiciary), canon 5A(2) (judge shall not publicly endorse or publicly oppose a candidate for nonjudicial office), and canon 5D (judge may engage in activity in relation to measures concerning improvement of the law, the legal system, or the administration of justice, only if the conduct is consistent with the code).

“Commissioner Gianquinto’s conduct described herein constituted conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice that brings the judicial office into disrepute, as set forth in article VI, section 18, subdivision (d)(2) of the California Constitution.”

Gianquinto served as a commissioner from Dec. 20, 2007 to March 30 of this year. A graduate of the San Fernando Valley College of Law, he was admitted to the State Bar in 1971 and launched a private practice in North Hollywood, moving to Bakersfield in 1974.

He became an arbitrator and mediator in 1982. Gianquinto has been in inactive bar status since 2008.