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• Author: Mark Thompson/Elizabeth Smith
• Pages: 899-902

Retired Judges

Retired Judges Albracht889

RETIRED JUDGES

RETIRED JUDGES

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ADAJIAN, Jacob

Temperament/Demeanor

A defense attorney who was assigned to Judge Adajian’s

court for several years said his “excellent demeanor” was one

attribute that distinguished him from many other judges.

“His demeanor was about as good as you’ll get. He’s a real

good guy. He’s a very decent judge and a very decent person.

He was always very patient and very calm. That really made

him stand out,” the attorney said. All other interviewees con-

curred with that assessment. A prosecutor who was assigned

to his court called it “one of the best assignments I ever had.

I think very highly of him.” Other interviewees said, “He’s

very pleasant, very business like. He’s very well liked. He’s

a real nice guy.” “He really understands the human condi-

tion. That is one thing that a judge can’t learn on the job. It

comes from life experience, and few judges have had the life

experience that he’s had.”

Intelligence/Knowledge

A prosecutor said Judge Adajian “definitely has very

strong legal knowledge. He was a defense attorney for many

years and he was a city attorney also, so I think he’s seen it

from both sides. And if an issue came up that he didn’t know

about, he was more than willing to look at the case law and

do the legal research and listen to the arguments of the two

attorneys. But I was in there for two years and I can’t think

of too many times where he didn’t already know the law.”

Other interviewees said, “He was very knowledgeable about

the law. He was a private practice for a number of years

before he got on the bench and he brought that knowledge

with him.” “He’s very street smart, not just erudite.”

On Motions

A defense attorney who appeared regularly before Judge

Adajian said he is “very fair” in ruling on motions. “He’s not

afraid to rule on the evidence based on the facts. A lot of

judges are afraid to call the police liars and when you grant

a suppression motion, basically what you’re saying is the

police were wrong. A lot of judges were afraid to do that. He

was not. He would do what he had to do. And he would do

it in such a way that he didn’t upset anyone.” A prosecutor

agreed. “I’ve done a few motions in front of him. He would

research the law if he needed to and let us make our argu-

ments and he would make his rulings. I didn’t agree with

him all the time, but it was always well reasoned,” the pros-

ecutor said.

On Trial

Most interviewees had handled preliminary hearings

instead of full-fledged trials in Judge Adajian’s court, but

they were unanimous in praising his ability to efficiently

manage heavy calendars of routine hearings as well as more

complex proceedings. “He’s able to get things pushed along

well. He cuts to the chase. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a judge

cut through more crap more quickly than judge Adajian,”

said one. Another interviewee said, “Most of my experience

with him on the bench has been in preliminary hearings.

He’s a very, very good judge.” Others added, “He was very

fair. He took great pains to be fair to everybody. What dis-

tinguished him from some of the other judges was the great

degree of patience he exercised as a judge. It was very rare

to see him get upset about anything, even when some of the

attorneys would do things that would ordinarily get anyone

upset.” “He’s got a very heavy calendar. He’s dealing with

a lot of different people—custody matters, several different

prosecutors, the San Pedro and Long Beach city attorneys,

the district attorney, the public defender, private defense

lawyers. I’ve personally been very impressed with how he

handles his calendar.” “He appears to have a very good work

ethic. He’s always on the bench taking care of business.”

Continuances

“On good cause, he’ll give a continuance. Like any judge,

he wants to get things resolved, but he’s no problem on con-

tinuances,” said a defense attorney. A prosecutor added, “He

didn’t like continuances but if a defense attorney or a pros-

ecutor had a good reason, he would allow it. But he wouldn’t

allow it just to age cases.” Another attorney who appeared

regularly before Judge Adajian several years ago said, “Back

then, he was very generous. In the last couple of years, all

judges have gotten strict. The judges [in Long Beach] have

gotten the word.”

Settlement

A prosecutor said Judge Adajian generally did not par-

ticipate in plea negotiations. A defense attorney noted that

not much plea bargaining takes place in preliminary hearing

courts, where Judge Adajian has spent much of his time on

the bench. But the attorney added, “I remember a few cases

where he made a very brave decision to dismiss cases that he

just didn’t think were right. He was really good in that way.” A

third interviewee, who commenced a trial that soon was settled

before Judge Adajian, added, “He’ll get involved and he’ll push

things along. That’s one of the good things about him.”

Proclivities

Defense attorneys interviewed about Judge Adajian

offered high praise for his fairness. “He was one of the few

judges who was not afraid to make the tough calls. I was very

impressed,” said one. “He’s very fair. He’ll give the defen-

dant a break when appropriate,” said another who added

that Judge Adajian “has a good reputation with the defense

as well as the prosecution.” A prosecutor agreed with that

assessment. “If he did [have any biases], he didn’t display

it,” the prosecutor said.

Summary

Judge Adajian is well regarded by both sides in criminal

proceedings. He is a kind and patient judge who is not afraid

to make tough calls, for example, in suppression motions. (01F)

ALBRACHT, James Anthony

Temperament/Demeanor

The opinions expressed by attorneys about the personal-

ity and character of Judge Albracht are mostly positive. “He

is nice to deal with.” “He is polite.” “He is courteous.” “He

is all right.” “He is okay in his temperament.” Apparently,

this judge is only human, in that he seems to have good

days and bad days. There were a few attorneys who did not

have a favorable impression of this judge, and had negative

comments. “Occasionally, I have found him to be somewhat

unbearable.” “He has a bad temper.”

Intelligence/Knowledge

Attorneys were in agreement, however, regarding his intel-

ligence and knowledge of the law. They acknowledged his

prowess and expressed admiration for his legal acumen. “He

is smart.” “I found him to be quite bright.” “He has sufficient

knowledge of the law.” “He is bright and knowledgeable.”

On Motions

Judge Albracht has been reported to be a good law and

motion judge. He is known to be punctual and proficient

with his rulings. He reads the pleadings before the hearings

and comes to court well prepared every day. “Do be on time.”

“He is on time and expects you to be likewise.” “His law and

motion calendar is done in a timely manner.” “You must

be prepared.” “He is good in law and motion, but you must

be prepared.” He is not a judge who is bent on forging new

legal territory, but his rulings are reported to be sound and

well reasoned. “This judge follows the law.” “His decisions

follow the law.” “He makes good law and motion decisions.”

“His decisions are good.” “The decisions he makes are well

thought out.”

On Trial

This jurist’s courtroom environment is reputed to be

pleasant, orderly, timely, and efficient. There was a con-

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