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  "description": "Please join Inland Empire Law Weekly at a judicial candidate forum in April.",
  "path": "/no-43/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-29T17:18:56.000Z",
  "site": "https://ielaw.news",
  "tags": [
    "Please subscribe",
    "YouTube",
    "Register for the event",
    "Jennifer Loflin’s",
    "own criminal defense firm",
    "Michelle Paradise’s",
    "Andrea Garcia’s",
    "Court to supervise Riverside Sheriff’s Prop 50 vote recount“I’m not saying that anyone is lying, or that there is a series of mistakes. I am saying that we do not know,” Bianco said.Inland Empire Law WeeklyAidan McGloin",
    "California Constitution, Article V, Section 13",
    "Government Code Section 12560",
    "Elections Code Section 15551",
    "Penal Code Section 1524(a)(4)",
    "Petition for Review REDACTED (1)Petition for Review REDACTED (1).pdf643 KBdownload-circle",
    "1. Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate1. Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate.pdf258 KBdownload-circle",
    "here",
    "law office",
    "Inland Empire Legal Literacy Project",
    "IE's judicial gap highlighted by chief justice",
    "Read the full speech here.",
    "In December 2022, Bianco called for the resignation of..."
  ],
  "textContent": "I'm just a guy from the IE. I went into journalism because I believe honest and accurate news are key to good governance, economy and quality of life. I don't take a salary, and all my money goes to production costs, document fees and freelance writers. I want to grow this newsroom into something that informs thousands of people all over the IE—but I need your help to get me there.\n\n\n                            Please subscribe\n                        \n\n* * *\n\n## Join us at a judicial candidate forum\n\nFrom left to right: Jennifer Loflin, Michelle Paradise, Andrea Garcia.\n\nThe Inland Empire has only one judicial race in the upcoming June 2 election. Three candidates are vying for election to a single seat in Riverside County. Inland Empire Law Weekly is hosting a two-hour event with each candidate. Each event will feature an hour-long conversation with Inland Empire Law Weekly editor Aidan McGloin, livestreamed on YouTube. The interview will be followed by audience questions and an informal meet and greet. All meetings will be held at the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce boardroom, at 3985 University Avenue, Riverside. Livestreams of the recordings will be found on Inland Empire Law Weekly's YouTube, and summaries of the interviews will be posted on this website. Tickets are free.\n\nRegister for the event\n\nApril 9, 5-7 p.m.: Jennifer Loflin’s interview. Loflin runs her own criminal defense firm. She has 19 years of experience in the criminal justice system. She was a San Bernardino prosecutor from 2007 to 2008, handling juvenile trial cases. From 2009 to 2011, she directed the Riverside County Bar Association’s Legal Aid program, which provided free legal assistance to low income community members. She was a Riverside County public defender from 2011 until 2017, and then a Riverside prosecutor from 2017 until 2018. In both offices, she specialized in felony domestic violence, general felonies, and misdemeanor cases. She handled employment law for first responders at Castillo Harper from April 2018 until August 2019. Since October 2023, Loflin has volunteered to oversee Riverside courtrooms as a temporary judge, filling in for judges that are out of the office. She is a mother of three.\n\nApril 10, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Michelle Paradise’s interview. Paradise joined the bar in 1997, and spent 25 years as a prosecutor, bringing over 100 cases to jury verdict, with a specialty in child abuse and homicides. She was promoted to Chief Deputy District Attorney, and placed in charge of the Major Crimes and Special Prosecution Units, in 2015. Paradise was promoted to Assistant District Attorney, overseeing the Indio and Blythe offices, in 2016. She was transferred to run the downtown office in 2019. County Executive Officer Jeff Van Wagenen invited her to join Riverside County Executive Office in 2023, as the Assistant Chief Executive Officer for Public Safety. She oversees the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Office of Emergency Management, Riverside County Fire and Probation Departments. She also works in collaboration with Riverside Superior Court, to provide indigent defense contracts and funding resources. She is a mother of four and a grandmother to three.\n\nApril 13, 5-7 p.m., Andrea Garcia’s interview. Garcia specializes in immigration law at the San Bernardino Public Defender’s Office. She joined the State Bar in 2007, and practiced immigration law, creating her own firm, Garcia Immigration Law Group, in 2016. She was recruited to the Riverside County Public Defender's Office in 2018, to create their first immigration unit. She joined the San Bernardino Public Defender’s Office, as their first attorney focused on post-conviction relief for foreign-born clients, in 2023. In addition to representing clients, she provides immigration and constitutional legal advice to public defenders. She volunteers in San Bernardino’s mobile defense program and homeless courts. She has taught at the La Verne University College of Law, and Monterey College of Law, and provides training in criminal defense of foreign-born people throughout the United States. She is a mother, and lives with her family in Riverside.\n\nRegister for the event\n\n* * *\n\n## AG Bonta files in county, appellate and CA Supreme Court to halt Bianco's ballot recount\n\nThe California Attorney General filed petitions at each level of California's judicial system last week, arguing that his supervisory powers over county sheriff's has been ignored by Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco.\n\nThe sheriff has been attempting a recount of the number of ballots cast in the November 2025 election. Two weeks ago, Riverside Superior Judge Jay Kiel signed a search warrant authorizing a recount under the court's supervision. Bianco's reason for the recount stems from a group of Riversiders that claim the county Registrar counted 45,000 more ballots than they received during the statewide election over partisan gerrymandering in November. Riverside County Registrar Art Tinoco said that the 45,000 ballots were confidential, provisional and conditional votes which the Registrar did not submit on a public count of received ballots.\n\nCalifornia Attorney General Rob Bonta reached out to Bianco multiple times after learning Bianco had seized the ballots, each time asking Bianco to pause the recount and provide the Attorney General's Office with all the information he had on the alleged miscounted ballots. Bianco sent an email confirming that he was following with Bonta's directives, then started the recount and said at a press conference that the investigation will continue \"despite Bonta's interference.\" Read a timeline of the correspondence and investigation at the story below.\n\nCourt to supervise Riverside Sheriff’s Prop 50 vote recount“I’m not saying that anyone is lying, or that there is a series of mistakes. I am saying that we do not know,” Bianco said.Inland Empire Law WeeklyAidan McGloin\n\nOn March 27, the AG's Office filed a petition with the California Supreme Court, claiming that he has the power to supervise sheriffs under the state law and California Constitution. Bonta cites the California Constitution, Article V, Section 13, which says “The Attorney General shall have direct supervision over every district attorney and sheriff,” and Government Code Section 12560, which says “The Attorney General has direct supervision over the sheriffs.”\n\nThe petition claims three reasons why Bonta took a special interest in Bianco's investigation.\n\nThe search warrant violates California's Elections Code, it claims.\n\n\"In no event shall the package (containing voted ballots) or its contents be taken from the custody of the elections official,\" reads Elections Code Section 15551.\n\nThe petition also claims that the warrants are insufficient because they do not allege a specific felony or criminal suspect. Penal Code Section 1524(a)(4) says that a search warrant can be issued when the seized items are evidence of a felony, or shows a specific person committed a felony.\n\nThe petition's third argument is that the AG has a compelling interest in maintaining public confidence in state elections.\n\n\"After the Attorney General informed the Sheriff of the deficiencies in the first two warrants, the Sheriff sought a third deficient warrant, compounding the abuse of the criminal process. The Sheriff also held a public press conference raising concerns about the 2025 Special Election in Riverside County, despite identifying no basis to suspect that a crime has occurred. During that press conference, the Sheriff trumpeted his defiance of the Attorney General, spread misinformation about the 2025 election, and promised to continue his investigation,\" the petition says.\n\nThe AG asks for the Supreme Court to immediately pause the investigation and hand over all the information collected to the AG's Office.\n\nThe Sheriff's Office has not yet provided a response to the filing. The petition is below.\n\nPetition for Review REDACTED (1)Petition for Review REDACTED (1).pdf643 KBdownload-circle\n\nThe AG's Office also filed a similar petition in the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, on March 23. It was rejected on March 24 because Bonta did not exercise all his options in county court.\n\nOn March 26, the AG's Office filed its petition in Riverside Superior Court. The petition and the later petition filed in the Supreme Court carry the same arguments and requests. A hearing on the briefing schedule is scheduled for Monday, in Department 10, Riverside Superior Judge Dorothy McLaughlin presiding.\n\nRead the petition below.\n\n1. Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate1. Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate.pdf258 KBdownload-circle\n\nThe Riverside Record is maintaining a collection of legal documents related to the investigation here.\n\n* * *\n\n## IE lawyers give back through volunteer appellate mediation program\n\nJackie Hoar, settlement conference administrator, and Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez, in the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two's, settlement conference room. To the left is an article from the Daily Journal about the program, published in 1992. To the right is a plaque of the mediators involved in the program in 1996.\n\nOne of the many secrets to the success of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two, is its ability to call on volunteer mediators.\n\nFacing a backlog of 800 cases in 1991, freshly appointed Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez worked with court staff and local bar associations to recruit roughly 80 volunteer mediators to resolve civil cases. After the backlog was cut down, the court kept the program going and the volunteers kept showing up. They've settled hundreds and hundreds of cases, saving millions of dollars in taxpayer funds and saving litigants time, money and anxiety.\n\n\"They come well prepared. They're always well prepared, and they don't back down. It's amazing that they always go above and beyond their duty,\" said Jackie Hoar, settlement conference administrator.\n\nRamirez said the program is one of the most innovative in the country, and is the only one he knows of that is fully volunteer.\n\n\"Lawyers do selfless things all the time in my opinion. This is the most selfless thing,\" Ramirez said.\n\nThe Chief Justice of the Supreme Court honored the program with the Ralph M. Kleps Award for Improvement in the Administration of the Courts. The program was so effective that Ramirez made it innate to the plans of the new appellate courthouse, finished in 1999, on the corner of Lime St. and 14th St. in Riverside. One area of the courthouse has a dedicated settlement conference room, with breakout rooms for private discussion with clients and remote video access for litigants and attorneys.\n\nRamirez believes the attorneys' contributions are a result of their adherence to \"the glorious vision of the law\" to improve people's lives, to quote U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Felix Frankfurter. What litigants want is an end to their dispute. Thanks to the volunteers' tenacity, the litigants can get that feeling of closure years in advance.\n\nPersonal injury attorney James Heiting, of Rizio Lipinsky Heiting, was one of the first volunteers. His first mediation was Oct. 28, 1991. After becoming president of the State Bar in 2005, he had to go on the inactive list. He signed up again a couple of weeks ago, and said he's been wanting to get back into the program for a while.\n\n\"I really get a feeling of making the world a better place through mediation,\" Heiting said.\n\n\"Not only am I helping those people—and I certainly want to help—but I am helping the whole system move better, so my clients get their cases heard when they go to the Court of Appeal,\" he said.\n\nPersonal injury attorney Bill Shapiro, who runs an office with his sons and who is now the national president of the American Board of Trial Advocates, said he joined the program in 1992 to give back to the legal community. He's done 35 mediations since then. He was honored to even have been asked to join.\n\n\"Hey, look. We all have an obligation to give back, and the theory of any program is, 'you get back what you give in,'\" Shapiro said.\n\n\"I'm committed (to the community). I think other lawyers should be committed,\" he said, referencing his volunteering as a temporary judge and the law classes he teaches.\n\nShapiro said the program doesn't take much time to volunteer for, and said Hoar and Ramirez both do incredible jobs administering the program.\n\nProfessional mediator Cari Baum, another volunteer, has conducted 92 mediations since she joined the program in 2007. Giving back through volunteering is just what local lawyers do, she said.\n\n\"We usually try to do something that is free, to give back. This was an opportunity to give back,\" Baum said.\n\nHoar called her a bulldog as a mediator, a term Baum laughed at before agreeing. Baum doesn't like to give up, she confirmed. She keeps on thinking of the light at the end of the tunnel, and sells that hope of an end to the litigants.\n\n\"Don't ever give up. Keep pushing. Keep fighting. Patience is the other thing,\" she said.\n\nBaum has the record for the longest mediation, regarding a complex business case. They stayed in the courthouse until 9:30 p.m., then came back for two more sessions. Hoar was there, working overtime and typing out the necessary documents the entire time. That's not a typical length of mediation—it typically takes just a day for Baum.\n\nEllen Stern, another professional mediator, has conducted 40 mediations through the program since she joined in 2012.\n\n\"I just like to bring people together to resolve conflicts. It's just in my nature. I love to do it. I do it to my neighbors,\" Stern said.\n\nStern is very pleased with the program's flexibility. She volunteered while she was running her own office, raising her daughter, and traveling.\n\nWhen scheduling mediators, Hoar calls up mediators who have experience in the type of law at issue. She gives them the potential dates for mediation. If the mediator can't come in, no problem. Hoar moves on to the next person on the list. If the mediator does choose to pick up the case, they can decide whether to appear remotely or come in person.\n\n\"I had to juggle all those things, and it worked\" thanks to Hoar, Stern said.\n\nFor her, the program was a fresh challenge after volunteering in mediations at multiple county courts. Unlike trial court mediations, where litigation is fresh and the facts haven't been established, the parties in the appellate program have a more seasoned approach, and the issues are fully briefed.\n\nThat's a distinction volunteer and professional mediator Charles \"Chas\" Schoemaker thought of as well. Schoemaker has done 31 mediations through the program since he joined nine years ago.\n\nThe litigants at the appellate level know what's going on, Schoemaker said. They've often been through trial. They have different motivations, and know their legal standing.\n\n\"It's intellectually challenging. It keeps you on your toes. It keeps you engaged. It's a way to give back, and to help the system,\" Schoemaker said.\n\nAttorney Kevin Gillespie joined in 1994, just three years after joining the bar. Ramirez swore him in. During the swear-in, Ramirez spoke about the program. Ramirez was not trying to recruit anyone. Gillespie didn't even meet the requirement to have practiced for enough years. But Ramirez inspired Gillespie to apply, and he got a special exemption. He's done 41 mediations since then, and said it's one of the most fulfilling parts of the community that he has.\n\n\"There's so much good in it. Good for the attorneys. Good for the clients,\" Gillespie said.\n\nClients often think the case will end at trial, Gillespie said. After the Court of Appeal sees the case, it might bounce around the system even more. Gillespie approaches the conferences by telling the clients it's \"an opportunity to stop the madness.\"\n\n\"People tell me, 'I never thought we would be here. I never thought the other person would settle this.' That's so powerful,\" Gillespie said.\n\n* * *\n\n## Photos from this week\n\nFrom left, Mitchell Roth Service Award recipient Bill Lemann of Fullerton, Lemann, Schaefer and Dominick, and San Bernardino Superior Judges Lisa Rogan and John Vander Feer stand as they were honored at the Western San Bernardino County Bar Association's Judge's Night on March 26.Judge John Vander Feer, recipient of the Judicial Lifetime Achievement Award, with Western San Bernardino County Bar Association President Dean McVay.Judge Lisa Rogan, recipient of the Judicial Officer of the Year Award, with Western San Bernardino County Bar Association President Dean McVay.Matthew Sanford celebrated the one-year anniversary of his real estate and business transaction law office at the Redlands Chamber of Commerce on March 27.Jaz Williams, founder of Inland Empire Legal Literacy Project. IELLP held its first event on March 27 at Empowered Living Community Church in San Bernardino. Speakers provided education on legal rights, expungement clinics and legal literacy.\n\n* * *\n\n## California news\n\n### IE's judicial gap highlighted by chief justice\n\nChief Justice Patricia Guerrero (center) entered the California Assembly chamber greeted by a joint session of California's legislative branch. Courtesy JCC\n\nChief Justice Patricia Guerrero highlighted the judicial gap in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties at her State of the Courts address March 23.\n\n_A longstanding problem our courts face, however, relates to the lack of funding for judgeships in counties with the greatest need. We are updating our judicial needs assessment—but the latest report from October 2022 reflects some stark realities I’d like to provide some context on:_\n\n  * _In recent years, the judicial branch has received funding for the 50 judgeships that were authorized as far back as 2007 (by AB 159 (Stats. 2007)): Two positions were funded in 2018 and allocated to Riverside County Superior Court; 25 positions were funded in 2019; and 23 positions were funded in 2022._\n  * _Based on the October 2022 report, there was still a need even at that time for 98 additional judicial officers._\n\n\n\n_While this funding has helped to minimize the gap between the number of authorized judgeships and judicial needs, there are still significant, ongoing challenges and needs that remain—with the need for more judges being especially acute in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties._\n\n_What this means in practical terms is that justice is not served the way that it should be. As an example, in Riverside County Superior Court, during the period from January 9, 2023 to March 6, 2026, 437 misdemeanor cases and 57 felony cases were dismissed pursuant to Penal Code section 1050, subdivision (j), because of the condition of the court’s congested calendar. This is despite the Judicial Council making available temporary assigned judges when requested by the superior court, to help alleviate the burden on the court._\n\n  * _Riverside, as an example again, has the highest use of our temporary assigned judges._\n  * _Last fiscal year, the total expense associated with these assigned judges in Riverside County alone was about $3M._\n  * _We will continue to make resources available to the courts through our Temporary Assigned Judges Program, and we look forward to working with all of you to find more permanent, predictable, and sustainable solutions to these challenges._\n\n\n\nRiverside Presiding Judge Jacqueline Jackson thanked Guerrero for her support.\n\n“Our judges and staff are managing sustained, high caseloads while demand for court services continues to grow,” said Riverside Court Executive Officer Jason Galkin. “Temporary assigned judges provide critical support, but additional judgeships are necessary to improve case processing and ensure timely access to justice for the communities we serve.”\n\nRead the full speech here.\n\n* * *\n\n### Newsom appoints new judge to San Bernardino\n\nJohn Balla, an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California since 2024, was appointed to a judgeship in San Bernardino Superior Court by Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 27. He fills the vacancy created by San Bernardino Superior Judge Corey Lee's elevation to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Two.\n\n“We thank the Governor for this much needed appointment, which allows the court to continue its commitment to meeting the justice needs of San Bernardino County. We look forward to Mr.Balla joining the San Bernardino bench,” said Presiding Judge Rod Cortez.\n\nBalla was also an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2019 to 2024 and a Deputy Chief from 2021 to 2024 and from 2025 to 2026. He served as a Senior Attorney at the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2024. Balla served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico from 2015 to 2019. He worked as an Associate at Best, Best & Krieger in 2015. Balla served as a Law Clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas from 2013 to 2015. Balla received a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law.\n\nThe court is still short one funded judge, and needs 26 more judges to meet its caseload.\n\n* * *\n\n### Opinion: On respecting the judiciary\n\nRiverside Sheriff Chad Bianco needs to figure out if he respects the local judiciary. Over the last three years, he has publicly criticized two judges, calling for the resignation of one and blaming another for the death of a baby. Last week, he called our entire Court of Appeal biased.\n\nNow, with a judge signing off on his recount of ballots from the Proposition 50 election, that ruling is suddenly above reproach, and the Attorney General's legal petitions to overrule Kiel's order are ridiculous in Bianco's eyes.\n\nIn December 2022, Bianco called for the resignation of...",
  "title": "No. 43",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-30T22:46:06.077Z"
}