Hon. Sarah J. Heidel See Rating Details
Judge
Superior Court
Los Angeles County
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Attorney Average Rating:   1.4 - 5 rating(s)
Non-Attorney Average Rating:   1.0 - 6 rating(s)
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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)
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What others have said about Hon. Sarah J. Heidel


Comments


Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA46412
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Heidel favors woman and acts as a feminist activist to hurt men and rule against men whenever possible. She has low knowledge of the law and violates the law all the time. She violated attorney client privileges to put confidential information on the record. Very bad judge - should not be adjudicating anything bigger than a parking ticket!!! F off Heidel and stop hurting the public and stop being a biased judge!!!

Other

Comment #: CA43078
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Hon. Sarah J. Heidel is the best judge, everyone that posted below is upset things didn’t go their way or following a blog like sheep. She sees right through the bullshit. Just be honest and first and foremost look at what is in the best interest of the child. Stop using your child as a tool to get back at your ex.

Other

Comment #: CA42481
Rating:1.0
Comments:
This judge should be impeached. I have witnessed her rule against and in favor of both men and women, so I can’t say she’s a woman hater. I honestly believe she is mentally disordered and in the courtroom, she rules based on her biases. For example, if the case involves a white man and a white woman, she will likely rule in favor of the man regardless of the facts or evidence presented. If either one of these people (male or female) is black, she will rule against the black person and so on and so forth. She does not rule based on the merits of the case like 95% of judges, so in every single case, the most vulnerable ones suffer. I wonder how many children have endured abuse or worse as a result of her demented rulings. This dirt bag should be locked up. It is appalling that someone who lacks empathy and mocks justice is in this position. While I agree that she should be in traffic court rather than family law, she doesn’t belong in the judicial system at all. Nobody’s fate should be decided by this sociopath.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA41006
Rating:1.0
Comments:
I can't believe she is brazen enough to continue to violate the rights of people.She slept her way to her position. I will be working to having her removed from the bench. If you Google Judge Sarah Heidel is a racist you will find out information about this woman hating bigot. She has issues with her mother so she always rule against women.

Litigant

Comment #: CA37853
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I've been litigating in family court for 5 years. Throughout that time, I've seen competent judges and I've seen some incompetent judges but nothing put fear in me more than when I walked into that Pasadena Court House for the first time and every time thereafter.

Other

Comment #: CA37687
Rating:1.0
Comments:
Quite disturbing to learn how many people had similar views about this judge. Double disturbing that she affects the lives of young children and adults. She would not allow me to speak and yelled at me in the courtroom, raised my hand and asked to have my fair time to respond the lies that was spoken. She also stated since I was trying to work with the father and got violated, I asked for it. It was a surreal and a nightmare moment for me.

Litigant

Comment #: CA36908
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This so called Judicial Officer is a complete idiot in all terms of the word. She DOES NOT belong on any bench except the one at her home, if she has one. She is biased and tries to write her own law when she is only there to interpret the law. She does not allow evidence to be presented which violates state law. What a waste of a courtroom that could be filled by a judge that is more professional, capable and less violent. SARAH J. HEIDEL is a bigot and is prejudiced towards one party because someone challenges her authority and stupidity. Just looking at her, one can tell she is indifferent towards the law and instead applies her own thwarted version of it. Not every litigant is uneducated, some hold higher degrees than she does, this taken directly from her state profile. She makes me and probably others sick...she should be recalled. It saddens me to write so poorly of a PUBLIC SERVICE SERVANT as educated as I am never have I done this to any individual but, HEIDEL deserves this review and rating. How PATHETIC she is and, no this is not venting it's what I directly observed of her behavior in the courtroom.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA36390
Rating:1.6
Comments:
This judge belongs in a traffic court, not a family court where she impacts people's lives. She is light on the law and does not like to read pleadings. She makes up her mind and takes the bench. She is tired and does not like family court. She has a low opinion of the people coming to her court. You will not have justice here.

Other

Comment #: CA32208
Rating:1.0
Comments:
This judge completely botched this case!!!!! When presented with a 12 year old no brainer court case where the ex husband was proven guilty of physical, emotional and sexual abuse toward his ex wife and children, this gaslighting judge shut down ALL police, hospital and 730 psychiatric evaluations. She said she had no time to read the case. She appointed minors counsel Kandy Sullivan who further gaslighted the mother and key whiteness, mixed up names and events when “informing” the judge and flat out lied over and over again to make the mother appear in the wrong or discredit Her. All hear say!!!! Was the ex husband paying them off? Did they know each other as pals outside of court?? Something is very very wrong here. The way they spoke to this mother was devaluing her. They insulted her on a level that would put anyone on the defensive. It was like ugly teenage girls in the school yard picking on the pretty sweet girl out of jealousy. The judge believes her “friends”, the lawyers in her circle, over anything else. Every judge who ruled on the matter before found the ex husband guilty of profound abuse for years. 12 restraining orders on the guy! They should have seen through his manipulations. This should have been interpreted as just another routine harassment by the ex husband. He did jail time for it! He had A record of crime, substance abuse and psychological problems! The judge and Kandy Sullivan NEVER read the evidence. I watched as this poor mother , with a completely clean record, loose custody of her children to this monster of a man for literally no reason. The judge never gave a reason. The mother asked “why?!” Then the judge asked the mother a question and when the mother began to answer the judge said “now is not the time to interrupt me!!! I’m making my ruling and nothing you say matters.” I watched that poor mother leave the court room and collapse crying, rightfully so. Her older autistic son also crying, with physical scars left on his face by the ex husband. The 22 year old autistic son told Kandy Sullivan how his ex stepfather sexually touched his sisters when he was drunk....Kandy Sullivan did nothing. She did not tell the judge or police. She did tell the judge that mom locked the son outside in the cold. The autistic son stood up in the court room and said “ no! My old dad did that to me not my mom!!” The judge interrupted him and told him to sit down, and said “ moms not credible.” What?! The judge Sarah H. Kandy Sullivan and Delilah Knox should be put in prison for all the families they ruined. Watching this gang of women bullying this devoted mother....I was the first time in my life I hoped hell was real so this awful judge and team of flying monkeys could go straight there.

Litigant

Comment #: CA31671
Rating:2.0
Comments:
Very frustrating working with this judge. This judge is clearly new and does NOT know family law. Poor decisions. Standard stuff. I wish I could say more without revealing my case, but do not expect a good outcome with complex issues. Judge is clearly trying to earn her rank by acting like Judge Judy and putting people in her place, then makes poor, uninformed decisions and admits she's not familiar with many of the laws and statutes at issue. These are children's lives in the balance at her willy-nilly decisions. It's very disconcerting. Has missed the mark on several key, basic issues. Avoids making decisions and basically just tells people to "work it out" over and over.

Agree with Kandy Sullivan lack of aptitude as a child advocate as well. Children's therapists have been shocked and agreed to share info to persuade her but she's more concerned with being "right".

Other

Comment #: CA31669
Rating:1.0
Comments:
They need to get rid of her!! Stop ruining children’s lives my son is in danger because of this women and the court appointed minors counsel Kandy Sullivan! They have no business thinking they know the best interest of children

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA21870
Rating:2.1
Comments:
Terrible family Judge. Miss applies the law. Issues order contrary to policy and law

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA20083
Rating:1.0
Comments:
horrible judge.

Litigant

Comment #: CA20082
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Horrible. Extremely dissapointed in this judge. I was part of a divore and custody case. Please note that this case also had extreme domestic violence and threats towards myself and my children. The judge dismissed all that. Did not give me a chance to thoroughly explain and awarded this dangerous man visitation. She fell right for the same manipulation this man spent 12 years doing to me. I though Judges were trained to make better judgments. I'm disgusted by this judge.

Other

Comment #: CA18422
Rating:1.0
Comments:
YIKES! not an experienced family law Judge. Did a 3 year old RFO MODIFICATION, based off her opinion "it was going to create issues?" although there was no response was filed. Joke to the judicial system. DO NOT FILE YOUR FAMILY LAW CASE IN POMONA. Just go down to the Hill street court house.