LA judge admonished for 'jokes' about shooting people, bias from bench

The Commission on Judicial Performance on Thursday publicly admonished Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Enrique Monguia for bias and inappropriate comments from the bench--including several remarks about "shooting" people.

"The commission found that, between 2019 and 2024, Judge Monguia made statements in the courtroom threatening to 'shoot' people or have them 'shot' by his bailiff, and engaged in a pattern of making improper remarks, including comments that were discourteous and gave the appearance of bias, to a crime victim, prospective jurors, defendants, attorneys and others," commissioners stated in the admonishment posted on Thursday.

"We decline to make a statement," Monguia's attorney, Costa Mesa-based Paul S. Meyer, responded to an email requesting comment.

In 2023, the judge threatened to shoot a defense attorney for speaking too loudly with a colleague while Monguia heard another matter. The same year, he said he would have ordered a retired judge who had shown up in his courtroom to be shot if the bailiff had been present. In 2019, "while explaining the rules of the courtroom to prospective jurors, Monguia 'joked' that his bailiff was 'authorized to shoot' anyone who crossed into the well between counsel table and the judicial bench," the admonishment stated.

The document also flagged "a pattern of making improper remarks ... to a crime victim, prospective jurors, defendants, attorneys, and others." Some of these gave the appearance of "bias based on gender and ethnicity." In one instance he appeared to blame a domestic violence victim, telling her "It takes two to tango." In other examples, he appeared to prejudge cases or interfere with attorney client communications.

Monguia reprimanded a criminal defendant who appeared without counsel, then ordered her into custody in front of her 3-year-old child without arranging for the child's care. He also questioned a defendant's competence to represent himself but delayed assigning counsel, extending the man's time in custody.

The misconduct took place over nearly five years, according to the admonishment posted on Thursday. The commission concluded that Monguia's conduct "reflected a lack of judicial temperament and respect for the rights of those appearing before him."

But the admonishment also noted "mitigating factors."

"In response to the commission, Judge Monguia generally acknowledged that his conduct was improper," the admonishment stated. "Judge Monguia expressed regret and remorse for his actions and said that he had taken steps to address unconscious bias and other matters that contributed to his misconduct. In determining to issue this public admonishment, the commission considered Judge Monguia's admission to his misconduct, as well as his lack of prior discipline."

Monguia spent 27 years as a deputy public defender before his appointment to the court by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2015.