"The Robing Room: CA State Judges

Hon. Henry J. Walsh	See Rating Details
Judge Superior Court
Ventura County	See Comments

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General Rating Criteria

* Temperament		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Scholarship		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Industriousness		(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
* Ability to Handle Complex Litigation		(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
* Punctuality		(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. Henry J. Walsh

Comments

Litigant

Comment #: CA53123
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
When the "law" protects the lawless, the social contract is null and void.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA53114
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
On a side note, I see that RadiantTruth.com is back up. I agree with everything that has been said about Walsh. He needs to retire BAD.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA53107
Rating:2.8

Comments:
Judge Walsh is an example of how easily our system can be abused by ego and back room deals. He favors certain street gutter attorneys in town. I observed how he giddily looked to punish innocent people. He allowed his friends in the bar to push innocent civil defendants around with threats of criminal prosecution to force a settlement. Abuse of power at its finest. Too bad his retirement did not come in time to save my friend from his reign of terror.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA53085
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
‘ Judge Walsh was publicly censured in 2016 by the Commission on Judicial Performance for accepting post-election campaign contributions from attorneys with active cases in his court, which was illegal and violated anti-corruption rules meant to prevent the taking of bribes.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA52962
Rating:1.0

Comments:
"Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been extracting from them." [Nehemiah 4,5]

Walsh has serious ethics and misconduct issues that have been reported to the CJP for years. He is the oldest judge in Ventura and can barely keep a cognitive thought let alone remember important facts about a case. It is finally time for him to retire and move on.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA52843
Rating:1.0

Comments:
If I were a taxidermist, I’d tell him to go get stuffed. 0/10.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA49298
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Walsh is retiring at the end of the year. He has serious misconduct issues, and his retirement will be a very good thing for Ventura County.

Court Staff

Comment #: CA49279
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Walsh was mentioned by Anonymous 2 years ago. The video is posted to YouTube on Anonymous hacker squarefpv's channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNfxM8s855k

Walsh was sanctioned by the Commission on Judicial Performance for taking illegal campaign finance contributions from attorneys who had active cases in his courtroom at the time of the "contributions." The "contributions" to his defunct political campaign finance account were reallocated toward Judge Walsh's own personal use after he never again faced a contested election. This amounted to $1,499 from one attorney, followed by another "contribution" from his law partner in the amount of $1,000. The CJP noted that both attorneys had active cases before Judge Walsh when the illegal "contributions" were made, and that this behavior seriously compromises the public's trust in the judiciary.

https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/Walsh_02-10-16.pdf

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA49143
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
[Redacted by Ed.] He needs to retire. See his CJP admonishment:

https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/Walsh_02-10-16.pdf

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA49050
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
"If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there's no progress. You pull it all the way out? That's not progress. Progress is healing the wound that the blow made--and they haven't even begun to pull the knife out, much less heal the wound... They won't even admit the knife is there!"

- Malcolm X (1964)

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA49043
Rating:9.5

Comments:
Pragmatic, practical, and fair. I have disagreed with him at times, but so what, I lose. Such is life.

Litigant

Comment #: CA49016
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
When the "law" protects the lawless, the social contract is null and void.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA48876
Rating:2.3

Comments:
This judge should have retired a long time ago. He is the oldest member of the Ventura County bench. I handle criminal matters as well as civil matters, but have never seen him handle a criminal matter and honestly he probably couldn't manage it.

For someone with a civil background, he is sorely deficient and has been observed to doze during bench trials. His fellow judges need to politely suggest that he retire gracefully.

Court Staff

Comment #: CA37832
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The following post was censored by the Editor on 10/28, 10/29, and 11/1/2021:

Notice how the Editor continually attempts to distract from the issues, even splitting hairs over whether a complaint is an admonishment or censure. The truth is that all admonishments are censures. There is little difference between the two: both merely consist of a public warning letter being sent to the censured. The CJP publicly admonished Judge Walsh for behavior linked to illegal campaign finance violations and concealment.

Corruption and the taking of bribes are often concealed under a thin veil of legitimacy, a point the Editor continues to ignore. This is the most important fact of all, and the Editor would rather split hairs over semantics than address the fact that Walsh engaged in behavior that the CJP noted could seriously compromise the public’s trust in the judiciary.

If it smells like a bribe, looks like a bribe, it’s most certainly a bribe!

The Editor’s pro-judge bias needs to end. Stop putting your head in the sand. Stop trying to protect corruption!

Walsh only did this to himself. If he wants my advocacy to end, he can repay the money he stole from countless victims of legal abuse and abuse of discretion. This is for the single mom he victimized.

https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/Walsh_02-10-16.pdf

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA37765
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Since the CJP won’t hold judges accountable, resists transparency and audit, and allows judges to commit misconduct for over a decade, I created Radiant Truth to hold judges accountable through direct action. No longer are the people beholden to a corrupt CJP process, which silences victims, discredits their stories, and hides misconduct under the rug.

Radiant Truth is a trailblazer and lightbearer to show the public that we don’t need government to hold leaders accountable. We can do it ourselves using the principles of mutual aid and direct action.

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Litigant

Comment #: CA37761
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Walsh’s post admonition conduct proves how ineffective CJP disciplinary measures are and what little regard some judges have for the ‘governing’ body

In fact CJP misleads public on its governance by failing to disclose rule adoption by CJP in attempt to deny their duty to report Judicial Crimes under The Misprisions of Felony Rule

Court Staff

Comment #: CA37758
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following post contains false information. In fact Judge Walsh was never censured. Please look at the opinion. We don't mislead. Just the facts, as they say.

*****************
The CJP We have received numerous complaints on Walsh. Most judges do not receive a single complaint from the public, and Walsh is certainly not a saint.

The CJP admonishment is actually a censure. Please don’t mislead. Also, Walsh did not violate rules that were new and unknown. It has always been a rule that judges must disclose conflicts of interest, especially when those conflicts are financial in nature. To split hairs here is really disingenuous.

Walsh destroyed his own reputation with his own actions.

He has been cruel and abusive to single moms and women in particular. He fined a woman repeatedly when she sought the court’s protection with a TRO, in one case fining her $12,000 and commenting, “let’s see what she does now.” When the woman questioned this obvious abuse of discretion, Walsh snarked, “I’m not a pig out for truffles.”

Walsh is a compromised judge.

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA37756
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are not trying to mislead. We have no horse in this race except to tell the truth; expose the bad and praise the good. When you accuse a judge of dishonesty and criminality (when you accuse anyone of same), yes, you have to base it on something tangible and not misstate the public admonishment (not a censure). People go to school, work hard, become judges and devote thier lives to the public; presumably for the public good. Bashing them and their good names without basis is, at the least, inappropriate. So yes, by all means, check the record and when it comes to destroying lives based on an anonymous poster's erronous interprteation of an admonishment proceeding, yes, we will be splitting hairs to make sure you get it right.
-- Editor--

************************
Again the Editor is trying to mislead.

The $1,499 “contribution” was made on April 2, 2012 by a criminal defendant through his attorney while active litigation was pending. This litigation occurred from August 2011-September 2014. The $1,000 contribution by his law partner occurred on March 26, 2012.

The Editor has a pro-judge bias intended to protect corrupt judges at all cost. He splits hairs when he shouldn’t and ignores the fact that all corruption happens through a thin veil of legitimacy. Judges do this thinking they can outsmart with plausible deniability, but the CJP obviously didn’t buy it.

Don’t fall for the Editor’s bias and read the CJP document yourself:

https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/Walsh_02-10-16.pdf

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA37742
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following post contains inaccurate information.

Not True: "This judge accepted money from litigants in active litigation with him as judge! The CJP noted $1,499 from a criminal defendant and $1,000 from his associate, to be exact. " NOT TRUE

This is not a truthful statement despite what the poster insists. The poster urges you to review the opinion. Doing so will reflect donations from attorneys, not "litigants." And undisclosed donations resulting from mistake or interpretation of new reporting requiment (then, just enacted) are not bribes.
**********************

Dear Public,

Just because the CJP admonishment skirts around the use of the word “bribe,” they are describing the taking of bribes nonetheless.

This judge accepted money from litigants in active litigation with him as judge! The CJP noted $1,499 from a criminal defendant and $1,000 from his associate, to be exact.

The Editor seems extremely triggered by the notion that ANY judge would take bribes. How does the Editor believe corruption happens in practice? Corruption always happens under the thin veil of legitimacy. In this case, Judge Walsh used an illicit campaign finance fund in a defunct political campaign to whitewash the money years AFTER his election ended.

The Editor should not defend corruption, especially when the misconduct was sustained by the CJP.

It should also be noted that Walsh’s censure is extremely serious and this discipline is reserved by the CJP in the rarest of cases. It is one step below removal from office, which the CJP almost never does. The Editor is making light of something he should not. It goes far beyond mere “reporting requirements.”

Let the people decide for themselves:

https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/Walsh_02-10-16.pdf

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA37739
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
EDITOR’S NOTE

The following post contains inaccurate information. Nowhere in the CJP admonishment is this judge accused of or found to have taken a bribe. Undisclosed contributions represent just that, nothing more. There is an appearance of impropriety but same is a far cry from a determination that a bribe was offered and taken or that the court ruled in a inappropriate manner in any case. There has not even been that allegation in the CJP proceedings. The poster is entitled to their opinion, but it is just that an opinion unfounded in facts, despite protestations to the contrary by the poster.
****************

RE: CA37500

Notice how the Editor goes silent once the CJP document is quoted in detail. The CJP describes a judge taking bribes, including exact dollar amounts (e.g. $1,499 from a lawyer defendant and $1,000 from his law partner), including how he used an illicit campaign finance fund to whitewash the money. This isn’t just a technical violation of reporting requirements LOL. The CJP wouldn’t issue a public censure if it were as minor as the Editor tries to make it.

The Editor’s pro-judge bias needs to end. The proof is right there, and I linked to the CJP admonishment document so the people can decide for themselves.

https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/Walsh_02-10-16.pdf

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA36201
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Dear Victim,

Judge Walsh was convicted of corruption by the CJP for taking bribes in so called “post election campaign contributions.” What you describe is not usually how victims are treated in court, but seems to be typical of Ventura which has had three CJP admonishments against judges so far that I’m aware of.

These fines are being split between your abuser’s corrupt attorney and Judge Walsh.

For example, one litigant who contacted me asked if a $30,000 retainer for a local Ventura family law attorney was normal (it was not). 30k is enough to split into 5k for a usual retainer fee and 25k for bribes to win the case. This particular attorney told the client he had never lost a case in the past 10 years because he “is very selective of the cases he takes on.” Anyone who has been involved in legal matters knows that outcomes in court are seemingly random and there is no way to statistically win 100% of the time. (I can provide this attorney’s name by email if needed.). This highlights the corruption that many attorneys in our county are keenly aware of.

If you have information on Judge Walsh, email me at RadiantTruth@pm.me.

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA35080
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I reviewed the court docket and minutes for several litigants who have contacted me, including regarding Judge Walsh, and I found a pattern.

These cases start out firmly on the side of survivors, with victims winning their restraining order cases. However, as the case continues to develop, like flipping a switch, the survivor is no longer believed and starts losing *every* hearing. The survivor is forced by the court to pay their perpetrator over and over and over again with judgement amounts that are impossible to pay.

Debt is a form of social control. Several family law judges, including Judge Walsh, are handing control to victim’s perpetrators, placating the perpetrator at the expense of the victim’s freedom. This is not justice. Women have a right to be believed!

False judgements obtained through fraud upon the court are a form of oppression. This oppression must be resisted, and it is this truth that drives the radicalization of survivors to join Radiant Truth in exposing corruption in our courts. The court only brought this upon themselves.

If the court wishes my advocacy to stop, they will need to demonstrate a fundamental reform in their behavior and support survivors and victims of violent crime. Until that happens, I will never rest in my pursuit of justice for victims.

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Other

Comment #: CA34146
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Dear Public,

The appellate court recently overturned an important ruling by Judge Walsh that limited the public disclosure of police misconduct records. A link to the VC Star article is copied below:

https://tinyurl.com/2jh9nubr

The public have a right to know the truth. Dear editor, this post is very important information and I strongly recommend against censorship of this post.

Very Truly,

Ventura County's Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA33877
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Walsh was mentioned on YouTube by Anonymous:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR8S7LbggXo

Court Staff

Comment #: CA33452
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Dear Public,

[Redacted by Ed.] The statewide commission on judicial performance said Wednesday that it had publicly admonished Ventura County Superior Court Judge Henry J. Walsh for failing to disclose campaign contributions from attorneys who appeared in his court after his re-election]

I need the public’s help submitting an FOIA request for the names, dates, and amounts of these post-election campaign contributions. This list of attorneys, once published, would effectively shut down judge Walsh’s court, allowing any attorney on that list to be challenged and removed from any case before judge Walsh. It would be devastating and essentially force judge Walsh to retire.

I can’t submit an FOIA without my Anonymity being blown. That is why I need a volunteer to help me with this. Email me at RadiantTruth@pm.me.

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA32638
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Walsh was publicly censured in 2016 by the Commission on Judicial Performance for soliciting and accepting post-election campaign contributions from over 150 local attorneys, which is illegal and violates anti-corruption rules meant to prevent the taking of bribes. Walsh is one of three judges in Ventura County who have been censured out of only a few dozen statewide in the last decade. That is a huge percentage and speaks volumes. Corruption in Ventura’s courts is a serious problem and needs to end. No judge should be able to solicit his influence for cash. Misconduct such as that committed by Judge Walsh seriously compromises the public’s trust in the judiciary.

It is unusual for a judge to be censured by the bar, which is usually biased in favor of judges. A censure is one step below being disbarred and dismissed from the bench.

The news article is available here: http://archive.vcstar.com/news/local/ventura/state-judicial-commission-admonishes-ventura-county-judge-henry-walsh-2b72eaa6-4421-24d8-e053-010000-368397901.html

The public censure document is available here: https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/Walsh_02-10-16.pdf

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA32539
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Dear Defense,

Please email me whatever information you believe to be pertinent. You can get a free anonymous email at ProtonMail, or truth me to keep your information private.

RadiantTruth@pm.me

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Court Staff

Comment #: CA32528
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Dear Private,

I would be careful not to over generalize litigants who have been truthfully wronged and denied justice. Anyone who has been in law long enough will have many examples of cases where their clients have suffered injustice. It’s the reason so many attorneys become jaded. Victims are often gaslighted and revictimized by a court system that is more geared toward protecting the perpetrator than providing justice for the victim. The result is often tragic as many attorneys involved in DV cases know.

The outcome of cases in general is random. Any attorney who claims to have all the answers or tells us that the court can never do wrong does not have much experience in the courtroom.

Very Truly,

Ventura County’s Radiant Truth

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA32523
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
It is unfortunate that this website, which provides the bar and the public an opportunity for free anonymous reviewing of the 1600+ state judges in California is now dominated, (if not actually overwhelmed) by the incoherent raving and paranoid conspiracy theories of two or three mentally disturbed disgruntled litigants.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA22768
Rating:1.4

Comments:
Proof there is a village missing it’s idiot.
Anything complex, as in first year law school is beyond him.

He reads nothing but moving papers and scans response.

Stay away at all costs

Other

Comment #: CA20722
Rating:1.0

Comments:
What a terrible judge! He accepted contributions from lawyers who appear in his court. Conflict of interest, do you think? Now he overrules the prior decisions to disclose misconduct cases in Ventura County. His election was probably rigged. He is biased and unfit. Hope he is voted out!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19793
Rating:1.1

Comments:
Harry has become a complete nut case.

CCP? Out the window. Dont even think he will apply it if he does not want to.

Law? He makes it up?

Facts? Can't remember them and no longer reads the pleadings with purpose.

Total twighight zone in 42.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA15462
Rating:4.6

Comments:
Harry is losing it. Nonsensical and illogical decisions. Doesn’t read carefully and decides motions on a “what he thinks is fair” mentality

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA13573
Rating:8.1

Comments:
He has a very large calendar so bring something to read while you wait. I thought Judge Walsh was very knowledgeable about the issues identified in the motion and he took the time to articulate his ruling. While I did not win on all the issues I felt that he listened and explained his reasoning which is helpful in drafting some special interrogatories and request for production. He has a very good temperament and allows all sides to voice their opinion in a professional manner. He steps in when counsel attempts to avoid answering his question and calls them on it. Very good judge!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11680
Rating:1.7

Comments:
Judge Walsh does not seem to grasp basic legal concepts, which is disappointing considering his background and education. He also apparently was admonished by the state judicial commission for failing to disclose campaign contributions from attorneys who appear in his courtroom, so perhaps that explains it. His temperament is mediocre, and he is certainly predisposed to certain parties (usually plaintiffs) in his rulings. I had one case before him where he literally ignored all relevant authorities, and adopted a completely unsupported position in his ruling. Needless to say, we ended up settling to get out of his courtroom, but I am fairly sure he would have been overturned on appeal.

While he isn't the worst judge I have appeared in front of, I tend to either seek removal or 170.6 when I get cases assigned to him.

Litigant

Comment #: CA10807
Rating:1.0

Comments:
In the interest of the public, Judge Walsh must be recalled most expeditiously.

Other

Comment #: CA8190
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Walsh is bias, discriminates, plays favorites, makes inapporpreiate comments, and overall you feel like justice is only justice according to the Judge. The Judge makes his own rules according to what he wants to do. He does not do his homework, he does not read his notes and he changes his mind from day to day.
Judge Walsh crosses over the line of Church and State.

Other

Comment #: CA6725
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Subjugates law for religious belief holding that teachers at a religious backed secular pre-school are the same as clergy, and that teachers at such a place can be fired for not holding the same religious belief as the institution. Should not be on the bench, regardless of past accomplishment or education.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3225
Rating:9.1

Comments:
Judge Walsh was generally down-to-earth, fair and hard-working. He found the plaintiff in my case to be a vexatious litigant and had the courage to grant me attorney fees on the defense. Plaintiff appealed and the Court of Appeals upheld Walsh, issuing a stinging rebuke to plaintiff. He can be gruff and impatient. He groused at me as much as at opposing counsel. But I found him to be willing to make the hard calls and do the right thing when it counted. For that reason, I wouldn't hesitate to appear before him again on any matter.