Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Michael Carrozzo has consented to a step down from his judicial position, following a comprehensive review by the California Commission on Judicial Performance.
The commission issued a severe public censure against Judge Carrozzo for a series of misconduct violations, leading to his irrevocable resignation effective September 9, 2025.
The California Commission on Judicial Performance, which supervises judicial conduct in the state, unveiled the findings of its investigation into Judge Carrozzo, highlighting ten instances of willful misconduct and nine counts of prejudicial misconduct.
Under the terms of the agreement, Judge Carrozzo will commence approved leave beginning June 2, 2025, formally resigning later that year, and will no longer qualify to serve in any judicial capacity within California.
Judge Carrozzo’s tenure on the Santa Barbara County Superior Court bench included roles as Assistant Presiding Judge from 2017 to 2018 and as Presiding Judge from 2019 to 2020. The commission’s investigation delved into his actions over a two-year span, emphasizing instances where he drafted legal correspondence under the guise of being an attorney for his judicial secretary in various disputes. This violation of judicial ethics codes underscores a judge’s prohibition from practicing law while holding office.
Furthermore, the commission criticized Judge Carrozzo for personal actions that blurred professional boundaries, including efforts to obtain confidential information and favor his then-judicial secretary, Sara Eklund, with whom he had a personal relationship. These activities demonstrated favoritism, compromised court operations, and violated multiple canons of the Code of Judicial Ethics.
“Judge Carrozzo’s misconduct included drafting correspondence with a letterhead representing that Judge Carrozzo was an attorney at law, and that falsely stated he represented an individual. Judge Carrozzo thus misrepresented material facts and intentionally conveyed the false representation that he was entitled to practice law. Also, during the commission’s investigation, Judge Carrozzo made representations to the commission about the correspondence that he knew or should have known were false,” the Commission stated in their report.
In response to the commission’s findings, Judge Carrozzo acknowledged the misrepresentations and consented to the resolution terms, intending to prioritize his family and professional community in his decision to step down. His legal representative, Heather Rosing, emphasized Carrozzo’s dedication and contribution to the state of California, both as a Deputy District Attorney and as a judge, recognizing the difficult but necessary decision made in the wake of the commission’s review.
As Judge Carrozzo prepares for his exit from the judicial bench, the commission’s resolution aims to maintain the integrity and public confidence in the judicial system, highlighting the critical balance between personal and professional conduct within the judiciary.
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Nice to know that the commission on judicial performance has some muscle.
Also some kudos to this guy for facing up and moving on. It would be nice to see such behavior on the federal level.
I haven’t found clear definitions, but I don’t think he had much choice…
“The commission issued a severe public censure and bar to Judge Carrozzo”
https://cjp.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2025/04/Carrozzo_PR_DO_4-17-25.pdf
“In the context of the California Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP), “bar” refers to the action of prohibiting a former judge from receiving future judicial appointments or assignments.”
MAGA Cons are incapable of admitting failure or incompetence because they don’t believe in facts or objective reality. Everything they do is either blessed by God or for the sole purpose of “owning the libs,” so they are infallible in their minds.
Doesn’t automatically follow that he’s MAGA. He might’ve just been thinking with his other head.
I don’t mean that he is, I was referring to the corrupt officials at the federal level as ANON (was it you?) mentioned.
No the other “anon” reference was not the one you suspect. It was I.
Loser.
Just another public official caught abusing his position. No disbarment ,no fine, no jail time, no revocation of retirement benefits. NO consequences.
Just like the orange moron.
WOW! No way! Haha. A Dirty Employee of The SBSC South County Division? Impossible………
⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️