Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Barbara, California. Credit: GoogleSanta Barbara Judge Accused of Moonlighting as Attorney for Secretary/Girlfriend
The Commission on Judicial Performance said Superior Court Judge Michael Carrozzo improperly used court resources to help his assistant, who later became his wife.
December 18, 2024 at 07:21 PM
4 minute read
A former presiding judge of Santa Barbara County Superior Court is facing possible removal from office for allegedly working as an attorney for his judicial secretary, who would later become his wife, while serving on the bench, according to documents made public Wednesday.
The Commission on Judicial Performance said Judge Michael Carrozzo presented himself as an attorney for Sara Eklund between 2018 and 2020, negotiating with her car insurance company and threatening to sue a mattress company for nondelivery. The judge, appointed in 2014 by Gov. Jerry Brown, also ghostwrote a letter to Eklund's landlord in a deposit dispute and completed a document submitted in her 2020 divorce proceedings in another county, the commission's notice stated.
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