In April 2018, California Protective Mothers – Solano County submitted a formal petition to the California State Assembly seeking the impeachment of Solano County Superior Court Judge Christine Carringer. The petition alleges Judge Carringer engaged in serious misconduct while presiding over family law cases.
The core accusations center on claims of judicial bias, particularly against female litigants and survivors of domestic violence. Petitioners asserted that Judge Carringer acted outside her proper discretion, allegedly harming litigants through rulings that disregarded due process and fairness principles. Specific allegations include improperly removing children from their mothers’ custody, sometimes placing them with documented abusers, and imposing costly supervised visitation requirements on financially disadvantaged litigants.
The petition further claims Judge Carringer violated the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) in several cases by inappropriately asserting jurisdiction over children residing outside California. It also details instances where the judge allegedly endangered children by granting custody or visitation to parents with known substance abuse or violence issues.
Beyond case specific rulings, the impeachment filing lists numerous alleged violations of the Code of Judicial Ethics. These range from personal conduct issues like a past DUI conviction to alleged professional improprieties such as improperly sealing her own court files, failing to recuse herself when necessary, and facing multiple successful disqualification attempts.
The petitioners argued that the standard channel for judicial complaints, the Commission on Judicial Performance (CJP), is ineffective and lacks transparency, necessitating the direct appeal to the legislature for impeachment under the California Constitution. They requested the Assembly investigate the claims, initiate impeachment proceedings, and take various corrective actions regarding Judge Carringer’s past cases and conduct.