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| Author | Mark Thompson/Elizabeth Smith |
| Pages | 995-1012 |
Retired Judges
Retired Judges Sabraw985
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SABRAW, Bonnie Lewman
Temperament/Demeanor
Interviewees described Judge Sabraw’s courtroom tem-
perament as “businesslike and pleasant,” “very even tem-
pered” and “pleasant.” Other litigators simply said Judge
Sabraw’s mien is “excellent.”
Intelligence/Knowledge
Half of the interviewees said Judge Sabraw’s legal knowl-
edge is “above average.” The remaining attorneys either said
“It’s excellent” or “It’s at least above average.”
On Motions
Interviewees seem to like Judge Sabraw’s courtroom
management style. They said, “It’s formal,” “It’s between
formal and relaxed” and “It’s somewhat formal.” Others
provided different perspectives by opining, “It’s flexible and
efficient,” “It’s relaxed and efficient. Also, very appropri-
ate” and “She’s definitely in charge, but doesn’t handle
everything in a very authoritarian way.” Attorneys said this
judge is polite to all who appear in front of her. As some
of them put it, “She’s very polite.” One litigator even said,
“Judge Sabraw is extremely polite.” Lawyers like the court-
room atmosphere maintained by this jurist. Half of them
said, “It’s professional and comfortable.” The remaining
litigators said, “It’s professional,” “It’s comfortable” and “It’s
very comfortable.” One of the attorneys who said it’s both
“professional and comfortable” added, “[Her style is a] really
good mix.” Every interviewee said Judge Sabraw always
takes the bench on time.
On Trial
All of the interviewees said Judge Sabraw listens closely
to their arguments and keeps an open mind. Most litigators
said Judge Sabraw moves cases at an “appropriate” pace.
Other comments included: “She moves cases faster than
her peers” and “She moves cases in an appropriate and
efficient” manner.
Continuances
The majority of the interviewees said Judge Sabraw is
either “very reasonable” about granting continuances or
“She’s more likely” to grant one than her peers. Other com-
ments included: “She’s very reasonable” when you show
good cause and “You’ve got an average chance” of obtaining
one from her.
Settlement
Half of the attorneys said Judge Sabraw is proactive
about settling cases and has “good skills.” One lawyer even
said Judge Sabraw has “strong” negotiating skills. Another
litigator opined, “She’ll help if asked and you can call her if
the other attorney is on the phone.” Only one interviewee
slightly criticized Judge Sabraw by saying, “Her involvement
varies, depending on the issues involved in each case.”
Proclivities
Every interviewee either said Judge Sabraw’s rulings and
decisions are “very fair” or “fair.” Attorneys provided addi-
tional comments concerning this judge. Two of them said
she interacts well with juries. One lawyer said Judge Sabraw
is fairly open to requests for special jury instructions. One
litigator opined, “She’s an excellent judge.”
Summary
Interviewees said Judge Sabraw has strong legal knowl-
edge, a pleasant courtroom demeanor and good settlement
and negotiating skills. They also like the basic way she man-
ages her courtroom. (01F)
SABRAW, Ronald Miles
Temperament/Demeanor
Interviewees praised Judge Sabraw’s courtroom
demeanor. They said, “It’s good”; “He’s very professional,
businesslike, and pleasant”; “It’s very professional”; “It’s
excellent. He’s a truly pleasant judge”; “It’s professional
and he’s very courteous”; and “It’s very pleasant and he’s
very even-handed.”
Intelligence/Knowledge
Most of the lawyers said Judge Sabraw’s legal knowl-
edge is “above average.” The others described it as “excel-
lent.” One of them added, “[H]e’s very firm in his decisions.
However, he’s willing to read all cases.”
On Motions
Every attorney said Judge Sabraw is polite to all who
appear in his courtroom. One of them went even further and
said, “He’s very polite.” All of the interviewees also said this
jurist is very conscientious about taking the bench on time.
When asked to describe Judge Sabraw’s courtroom manage-
ment style, lawyers said it’s “between formal and relaxed,”
“both formal and efficient,” “formal,” and “relaxed.” Most of
the attorneys said Judge Sabraw maintains a “professional”
atmosphere in his courtroom. Others said it’s “comfortable”
or “very comfortable” for practicing attorneys.
On Trial
All of the lawyers praised Judge Sabraw for keeping an
open mind and listening closely to their arguments. When
asked if this jurist moves cases at an appropriate pace
through his courtroom, attorneys said he moves them at a
pace that is “average,” “appropriate,” “faster,” and “a little
faster” than other judges hearing similar matters.
Continuances
Half of the lawyers said you have an “average” chance of
getting Judge Sabraw to grant a continuance based upon
good cause. Others agreed and opined, “This won’t be a prob-
lem if you can show good cause,” “He’s a bit more likely to
grant one than other judges because he’s very reasonable,”
and “He’s very receptive to a well-reasoned presentation.”
Settlement
The majority of interviewees said Judge Sabraw’s settle-
ment and negotiating skills are either “strong” or “average.”
Another lawyer opined, “They’re good.”
Proclivities
Most of the attorneys said Judge Sabraw is “very fair”
or “extremely fair.” Another lawyer simply said, “He’s fair.”
Those who’ve seen this jurist interact with jurors said he
does “well” in this regard. They also said he’s “fair” when
it comes to considering special jury instructions. Attorneys
also said Judge Sabraw renders his rulings and decisions in
a timely manner. They described these written decisions as
“good” and “well-reasoned.”
Summary
Lawyers were quick to praise Judge Sabraw’s courtroom
management skills and professional demeanor. They also
said his legal knowledge is either “above average” or “excel-
lent.” Attorneys said Judge Sabraw is polite to all who
appear in front of him and that he manages his caseload in
an efficient manner. Additional comments included: “I really
like him because he doesn’t speak down to new or younger
attorneys,” “He reads everything [you file],” and “It’s always
a pleasure to appear in front of him.” (01E)
FROM THE BENCH
Judge Sabraw graciously responded to written questions
regarding his courtroom preferences and procedures.
Once proceedings begin, all motions need to be made in
writing. This jurist strongly prefers for attorneys to bring a
proposed Order to court indicating the specific relief they
are seeking.
Judge Sabraw says he frequently questions witnesses to at
least a moderate extent during court trials. However, he does
not usually conduct more than half of the voir dire proceedings.
Lawyers should always obtain this judge’s permission
before approaching the bench, a witness or an exhibit in
this courtroom. Speaking objections are not allowed in this
jurist’s department. Judge Sabraw will provide tentative
rulings in some cases. When attorneys discover they will be
running late, they should provide the court with advance
notice. However, this judge did not indicate an exact, mini-
mum amount of advance notice that must be met.
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Retired Judges
986Saldamando California Judge Reviews
SALDAMANDO, Alexander Eugene
Temperament/Demeanor
All the attorneys interviewed agreed that Judge Saldamando
is at least a bit on the formal side. “He’s not as bad as some
judges, but he is definitely more formal.” Other comments
were more varied. “He’s a slow fuse with a big bang. It takes a
lot to get him there, but you don’t want to see the explosion.”
“Judge Saldamando’s temperament is excellent. Rightly judi-
cial.” “Dour. He’s dour.” “He’s a little brusque.” “He’s even-
tempered. He takes an intellectual approach.”
Intelligence/Knowledge
Judge Saldamando, a graduate of U.C. Berkeley and of
Hastings College of Law, was appointed to the Municipal
bench in 1979 and elected to the Superior Court in 1990.
Marks for intelligence and knowledge of the law were most
often moderate. “Judge Saldamando is fairly smart. He prob-
ably thinks he’s smarter than he is; he’s middle-of-the-road.”
“I’d say he’s average on both.” Some were more favorable: “I
was favorably impressed with his intelligence and grasp of the
issues.” “He’s a smart man, I think the law fascinates him.”
On Motions
Attorneys agreed that Judge Saldamando’s level of prepa-
ration for hearings is high. “He will read your papers.
Whether or not he is knowledgeable depends on what it is.
He is not good about admitting what he doesn’t know and
will react with anger if put on the spot.” “Judge Saldamando
is well prepared.” “He does well in the motion setting, both
in preparation and rulings.” One attorney mentioned an ex
parte experience: “I had an ex parte motion so the judge
hadn’t read the papers. He relied on a clerk. However, they
handled it correctly.”
On Trial
Some attorneys complained about Judge Saldamando’s
handling of trial matters. “In the case I had, he did not know
how to voir dire jurors, but I think he has gotten better.”
Others had more positive comments: “We had a complex
case, difficult issues, and he got them all.” “He is active
during a trial. I have seen him interrupt both voir dire and
opening statements if he thinks the attorney is going astray.
I think he does a good job, though. I have no complaints
about his handling of the matter.” One attorney said Judge
Saldamando was not active in the trial he recently had: “He
was a stand back, hands-off judge in that case.” Finally,
one lawyer mentioned that Judge Saldamando was a history
major in college: “He approaches a case as if he is studying
it. I’ve seen him go back and read cases leading up to issues
and brief them all on three by five cards.”
Continuances
There were no complaints about this judge’s handling
of continuances. “Judge Saldamando is reasonable about
granting continuances.” “He was very good about schedul-
ing, very accommodating.”
Settlement
None of the lawyers interviewed thought Judge Saldamando
was particularly effective in settlement situations. “Nothing
really stands out, but he was fine.” “In settlement conference
he is more relaxed. In our case he saw all the parties and
attorneys first to establish the issues. He didn’t so much give
you his idea of what the case was worth—it was more his
idea of what the real issues were.” “He was apologetic that
he couldn’t get the other side to move.”
Proclivities
Attorneys say, “Judge Saldamando is fair. No one walks
away having won it all.” “He didn’t demonstrate any prejudice
toward either side. I think he’s very fair.” However, one attor-
ney said he does have some quirks. “This judge doesn’t like to
admit when he doesn’t know something.” Another said, “He’s
willing to do his own legal reasoning. He’ll do what he thinks
is legally right even if there’s no established precedent.”
Summary
Here’s the advice attorneys had on how to behave in Judge
Saldamando’s courtroom: “I’d say, be subdued, keep quiet.”
“Don’t expect a lot of joking around.” “Be careful.” “Nothing
special, except what you’d say about appearing before any
judge. Be prepared. Be prepared. Be prepared.” “When you
go before Judge Saldamando be prepared to use a judge as
a judge should be used. If you are ready and can give him
the information, he will help you.” “Be both prepared and
organized. He wants you to have your case together.” “I like
him. He’s a great judge.” (01B)
SAWYER, Laurence Kingsbury
Temperament/Demeanor
All of the interviewees shared positive comments regard-
ing Judge Sawyer’s demeanor. They said, “It’s professional
and friendly,” “He’s always very much a gentleman,” “He’s
very professional, thoughtful and caring,” “He’s businesslike
and friendly,” “[His demeanor is] good” and “It’s very profes-
sional and dignified. I think he’s an excellent judge.”
Intelligence/Knowledge
Judge Sawyer’s legal knowledge was also praised by every
interviewee. Most of them simply said, “It’s above average.”
Others agreed and opined, “It’s above average to excellent”
and “It’s excellent.”
On Motions
Most interviewees like Judge Sawyer’s courtroom man-
agement style and said, “It’s between formal and relaxed.”
Another one agreed and said, “It’s a comfortably profes-
sional style.” When asked if Judge Sawyer is polite to all who
appear in front of him, nearly every lawyer simply respond-
ed, “Yes.” One of them said, “He’s mostly polite.” Likewise,
all but one of the attorneys said this judge usually takes
the bench on time. The attorney who offered a slightly dif-
ferent response said, “He tries [to be punctual], most of the
time.” Most of the lawyers described this jurist’s courtroom
atmosphere as “professional and comfortable.” The others
opined, “It’s professional” and “It’s usually pleasant but it
varies sometimes.”
On Trial
Every interviewee said Judge Sawyer listens closely
to attorney arguments and usually keeps an open mind.
Likewise, all of them said they appreciate his ability to move
matters at a proper pace. They described this pace as “aver-
age,” “expeditious,” “appropriate,” “slightly faster [than his
peers]” and “efficient.”
Continuances
Judge Sawyer has a reputation for responding fairly to
requests for continuances based upon good cause. Half of
the interviewees said you have an “average” chance of get-
ting him to grant a continuance. One of them added, “He
handles these requests in a totally responsible manner.”
Others opined, “He’s more likely” to grant one than his peers
and “He makes good decisions in this area, but he’s not a
soft touch.”
Settlement
Most of the interviewees said Judge Sawyer has com-
petent settlement skills. Their exact comments included:
“They’re very good,” “They’re strong” and “They’re good.”
One of them said, “He has high expectations that the attor-
neys will work out a settlement. If they haven’t, he asks
many questions to determine the extent of their efforts.”
However, two litigators claimed Judge Sawyer has kept
a low profile regarding settlement issues when they have
appeared in front of him. They said, “He stays reserved”
in this area and “He strongly recommends settlement, but
stays somewhat reserved.”
Proclivities
Most of the interviewees said Judge Sawyer is “very fair.”
Others said, “He’s fair” and “He’s less conservative than others.”
Summary
Additional comments included: “His written decisions are
well reasoned and rendered on time” and “He’s an honest,
straightforward, good judge.” Judge Sawyer received high
praise from interviewees for both his legal knowledge and his
courtroom mien. The lawyers also said they appreciate his
courtroom management style, the way he listens closely to
their arguments and his basic fairness. (01F)
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