Judge Enrique Monguia Publicly Admonished for Misconduct

A state judicial watchdog has publicly admonished Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Enrique Monguia for repeated misconduct, including threatening comments in court and actions that disrupted cases and harmed litigants.

The Commission on Judicial Performance said Thursday that Monguia made inappropriate remarks over more than four years, at times threatening to “shoot” people or have them “shot” by his bailiff. He also made comments that showed bias based on gender and ethnicity, and in one instance unjustly blamed a domestic violence victim.

In one case, Monguia remanded a defendant without counsel or a hearing, leading to a chaotic separation from her young child. In another, he improperly communicated outside of court and delayed appointing counsel, prolonging a defendant’s time in custody.

A public admonishment is the lowest level of public discipline the commission can impose, but it remains a formal sanction that signals serious concern about a judge’s conduct.

Monguia is represented by attorney Paul S. Meyer of Costa Mesa. The admonishment is posted on the commission’s website.

The commission is made up of six public members, three judges and two lawyers. It is chaired by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench