Thursday, September 13, 2001
Page 3
Davis Names Mental Health Consultant to Judicial Performance Panel
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Gov. Gray Davis yesterday named a mental health and behavior science consultant who works with Los Angeles jail inmates to the state Commission on Judicial Performance.
Betty Wyman, a Los Angeles resident, operates Wyman Consulting, a professional treatment firm that works with the county Department of Mental Health’s division in the Twin Towers jail.
Wyman previously was director of psychiatric and chemical dependency services at Daniel Freeman Marina Hospital and also served as a probation officer in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura.
Wyman’s term expires in February 2005.
In making the appointment, Davis fills a vacancy that has existed for several years since the resignation of Donald Vinson, a public member appointee of former Gov. Pete Wilson. One vacancy remains on the 11-member panel—-a public member appointment belonging to the Senate Rules Committee.
That vacancy was created when actor Mike Farrell resigned after his term expired in February.
The commission is charged with investigating complaints of judicial misconduct under the Code of Judicial Ethics. It also has jurisdiction over judicial incapacity.
The panel disciplines judges, former judges and court commissioners and referees.
This year, the panel has removed Los Angeles Superior Court Judges Patrick Murphy and Patrick Couwenberg from the bench and censured or otherwise disciplined several other judges around the state.
The Supreme Court appoints one justice of a court of appeal and two trial court judges. The governor appoints two attorneys and two laypersons. Two others are appointed by the Senate Rules Committee and two by the Assembly speaker. Members are appointed to four-year terms.
No confirmation is required.
The commission is chaired by San Francisco attorney Michael A. Kahn. Other members are Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Madeline Flier, Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Rise Jones Pichon, Third District Court of Appeal Justice Vance Raye, ACLU of Southern California Executive Director Ramona Ripston, Los Angeles attorney Marhsall Grossman of Alschuler, Grossman, Stein & Kahan, Crystal Lui, Gayle Gutierrez and Lara Bergthold.
The panel next meets Oct. 10 and 11 in San Francisco.
Copyright 2001, Metropolitan News Company