Michael Valenzuela

This is a [Redacted by Ed.] judge who has ignored evidence and just rules, his bench based on emotion. He decides with attorneys in court appointed advisors. He ignores his own court orders, and decides to interpret him as how he wants in court. In my personal case, it’s family law, I am a cancer patient and I made $6000 part-time work on disability last year my ex-wife who makes five times more than me. I applied for child support. The judge ignored the evidence and denied child support. If my ex-wife asked for this she would’ve gotten it. He also ruled against me in awarded my ex-wife legal decision-making, and the evidence in support any of it because this has already gone to trial twice before and thrown out. But because she had an attorney that the judge liked in a court appointed advisor that he would not get rid of he ruled against me in ordered me to pay $6200 in court fines to my ex-wife. Even though he denied child support that supported that she would owe me 1100 a month, even though I made $6000 a year before an on disability as a cancer patient he did not care and does not care about what’s in the best interest in my kids. Now my youngest lives with me full-time and is ignoring the court orders because of an abusive boyfriend that my ex-wife is living with he also has ignored that fact and putting my kids in harms way.

Judge Valenzuela seems to enjoy drawing out family litigation as long as possible with no regard to how it effects the child. With 2 years to handle the case it was mishandled, lazy, offered little to no help in a high conflict situation. To top it off the final orders handed down directly ignore state law. Even with the evidence in front of him this Judge is likely to err on the side of making the courts money. Even at the expense of the children.

The Family Court Judges have a legal and ethical duty to protect the children and uphold the rights of the child and the parents. When a judge takes over a year to have a hearing on a parent violating a court order for visitation and the child is kept from the other parent for over a year of their life, there is mismanagement of the case. It should never take over a year to have a trial or hearing to determine what is going on. This is just an organized stall tactic to ensure that the attorneys can make as much money as possible and start as many wars as possible to prolong the trial. There is no regard for the family, how this alienation affects the child, or the parent denied visitation, the Rules of court, the laws or the rights of the parents. Parents do not have the money to do this or the time to lose with their children. The courts damage families, they do NOT help families.

~Judge Valenzuela ruled on several motions in my high conflict child custody case. He was fair, thorough, and pleasant. I have heard positive comments from a few attorneys at well. He has a good reputation.