Public commenter tells Judicial Council California attorney-discipline system is 'broken'

Lisonbee Madden told the Judicial Council during the meeting's public-comment period that California’s attorney-discipline system "is really broken." Madden, who identified herself as a former clerk and said she has a vision disability, criticized prosecutorial practices in the state bar court and said recent responses to the Girardi scandal amounted to "band aid things."

"Our attorney discipline system is really broken," Madden said, adding that inconsistency, turnover among supervisors, and an adversarial prosecutorial approach have undermined public confidence. The Council did not respond during the meeting; Chair Justice Brad Hill and the Chief thanked her for submitting comments and noted written follow-up where warranted.