Jill C. Fannin

Beware: Judges Fannin (misspelled as Fanin), Haight, and Hardie all retired soon after a recall effort. One earlier report indicated the recall initiative gathered sufficient signatures but it mysteriously seemed to fail to appear on the ballot. Possibly a deal was reached wherein for NOT being recalled (which they could have led to an expensive contest / process like that of Aaron Persky etc), all three stepped of the bench. BEWARE of them STILL deciding or influencing your case anyway. By retiring before the recall made the ballot, they keep their pensions. And they may now be eligible to serve as "substitute" judges in public courts or via JAMS mediators (Fannins father started JAMS). Unfortunately we may never know how good or bad they were aside from what we read online. Unlike Florida and other "red states" generally CA helps judges forbid cameras / video in court. This makes transparency and evaluations of judges even tougher than cops (who have to wear body cameras). Eventually CA voters may decide to require judges to work under public cameras / scrutiny too. Until then, buyer beware - retired judges can reappear.

This woman should be voted out of office...now. She is a danger to our society. There is nothing redeeming about her skill set. It does not exist.

When I initially met Judge Fannin I was hopeful. She seemed level-headed and soft spoken. But, OMG did that change at the next appearance. I've been before Fannin several times, and while I'm no psychologist, I have to admit she seems moody and very inconsistent. Her orders made no attempt to close loopholes (which were later exploited by the opposing party), she let us walk out without a signed FOAH (which the opposition used to their advantage to drag out the time spent apart from the children), she did not read the file, and she took out good and important provisions from the recommending mediator and then rubber stamped others without even bothering to consider the impact on the parents in trying to get cooperation from the other parent. Her orders were confusing and lacked enforcement or sanction provisions. I've been in family court for 9 years as of this writing. I probably wouldn't be here still had Judge Fannin done her job. She actually said from the bench, "I've not read the file" What?!?!? It is absolutely abhorrent to then rule on a case that she had admitted out loud to not reading! I am not one to generally call people rude, but Judge Fannin actually was. She barked at me from the bench - a behavior unbecoming a Judicial Officer. I'm sure that this writing sounds like a litigant who didn't get their way, but she actually made some MINOR improvements albeit painfully SLOW to reunite the children with their family. She often punted her rulings to the then recommending family court services department and simply rubber stamped what they said but didn't notice where there might be contradictions or confusion. I honestly thought I should excuse myself from the courtroom and tell her that I'd be back when she'd read the case file. Were it not for Fannin's laziness, I am fairly certain that I would not be here 9 years and over half a million dollars later (not to mention the public resources wasted) still fighting. Not the worst judg