The Robing Room

Hon. Stephen V. Wilson	See Rating Details
District Judge	See Comments
C.D.Cal.
Average Rating:2.7 - 80 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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*Temperament:	(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Scholarship:	(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Industriousness:	(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)
*Ability to Handle Complex Litigation:	(1=Awful,10=Excellent)
*Punctuality:	(1=Chronic`y Late,10=Always on Time)
*Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation:	(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
*Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation:	(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Flexibility In Scheduling	(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)
General Inclination Regarding Bail	(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Pre-Trial:	(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Civil Settlement Discussions:	(1=Least Involved,10=Most Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Trial:	(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases, Sentencing:	(1=Most Lenient,10=Most Harsh)
Typical Discount Off Guidelines for Cooperators:	(1=10%,10=100%)
Items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. Stephen V. Wilson

Comments

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 35404
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Shocked to believe he is allowed to be a judge! Had I known I’d be dealing with judges like him , I’d never have gone to law school. Unfortunately many judges are similar to him but he takes the cake! [Redacted by Ed.] He just sua sponte dismisses meritorious cases without a motion to dismiss being filed. No sense of fairness or moral compass. This man is the most abominable person, using term loosely , and has the most repulsive attitude to match. The worst of our society. Extremely disrespectful and classless. I wish average Americans can see this man in action. I’d rather have an intelligent noble savage from Skid Row be my judge than this man ! If he’s your judge, your in trouble because he’s [redacted] and unpredictable as he doesn’t follow law

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 35336
Rating:3.7

Comments:
A tyrant. A poster child for a constitutional amendment that, sadly, will never happen -- one requiring mandatory retirement at age 75. The better, and younger, talent which is blocked by the likes of Wilson remains off the bench. He displays the worst quality that humans have -- meanness.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 35118
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I voted before, but I'm voting again. This guy is unimaginably bad. He literally screamed at several of my witnesses in front of a jury because they were not answering. Completey unhinged guy. He's fine before trial, but when trial starts, forget it.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 35062
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Every negative on this site about this stephen is 100% correct. I am shocked that a sociopath like this judge was appointed to the bench. I’m not even being facetious, this man is mentally ill , he is incompetent. I believe in full transparency and believe all judges and proceedings should be videotaped and available on YouTube or government website. Stephens conduct is nothing less than abominable, outrageous and unconscionable. Term limits must exist for politicians and judges. He is the reason judges should be subjected to a mental psych evaluation every year.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 34528
Rating:1.8

Comments:
In 47 years of practice throughout the US I have yet to encounter a worse judge. He dislikes lawyers and bullies people. His “rocket docket” is unfair to litigants and is at odds with the need to conduct discovery.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 34527
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Having read the previous comments regarding Judge Wilson, I see that many people are equally astonished by what could be outrageous misconduct from the bench; in my case, Judge Wilson has revoked my pauper status, after the appeal (21-56050) has been filed and answered, regarding district court case no. 18-00643, fed sec 1983 false arrest: Obviously Wis lson does not want the appeal panel to allow a Forth Amended Complaint. Hmm, does anyone want to sign on, for an opportunity to kick these shenanigans to the curb? I need a lawyer who will stand up to Judge Wilson! Thank You, Nancy Wood, email: bookpress@mail.com

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 34403
Rating:1.0

Comments:
A punk, who is at his best when he dozes off during the afternoons. Obviously has sleep disorders; keeps yawning. Time to retire, but he's got nowhere else to go.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 34357
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge delivers the inapposite of justice. He refused to allow lawyers to speak, especially female ones. He tells the jury what the evidence and instructs them to ignore the lawyers. He tells the jury what the issues are when he doesn't know the case. He yells and screams and humiliates the lawyers and witnesses. He threatens contempt at every turn. He is not impartial. He is biased, hates women, abuses his discretion at every turn. His decisions make the 9th circuit and the Central District look like a dictatorship where no person or lawyer or client is afforded a fair and just adjudication.

Litigant

Comment #: 34105
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
First he violates the right to petition by blocking Summons, then he wants to dismiss the matter for Lack of Prosecution! This is Bugs Bunny as Judge!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 33389
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Thinks he knows it all, when he knows very little; behaves like a punk; mean; ill-tempered; a horrible, all-around person, and a worse judge

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 33008
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This little man is simply awful; he is a government toady in both civil and criminal cases, is arrogant, and nasty.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 32790
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This horrible little man is his own Roy Cohn, the despicable, little momma's boy, whose momma cut all his meat for him, and whom he feared with enjoyment. He is a snake in the grass, and a punk. Now, nearly 79, soon he will be pushing up daisies.

Other

Comment #: 32655
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This Napoleonic miniscual of a man, misrepresented as a Judge reminds me of Woody Allen, (Perverse & lunatic). He even has a piano in his office. He was right about the plaintiffs attournies, Munger, Tolls & Olson...total Progenitous Copulators. Dueey,Chethamm & Howe!!!

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 32650
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Thinks he's smart but not so.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 32649
Rating:1.0

Comments:
A tedious little punk; unethical.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 32645
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Ignorant, petulant, self-serving, self-aggragrandizing, petty, sleepy, and hates women.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 25865
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Sometimes a judge intuits the right thing, backs it up by scholarship, and then comes with the right result. This is such a judge. I almost cried with happiness when I read his decision dismissing a case that needed to be dismissed.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 25145
Rating:8.3

Comments:
Judge Wilson set our trial for 90 days out after denying our motion to dismiss. He then denied a VERY detailed stipulation to continue the trial date, and subsequently plaintiff's motion to continue the trial date. Honestly, I thought he was a little crazy under the circumstances. Then he spent a great deal of time understanding the parties' respective positions at the final status conference, and dismissed one defendant (sua sponte) when Plaintiff could not adequately proffer his case against defendant. In the end, Judge Wilson's handling of the case resulted in a settlement by the parties that would not likely have otherwise been reached, at much less cost than would otherwise have been expended. In short, I was very impressed by his judicial demeanor and the way he managed this case. That being said, if you want to properly work the case up for trial, do discovery even before any motions to dismiss are heard, expect him to set trial 60-90 days out from denial of a motion to dismiss, and do not expect any trial continuance from him and you should be ok. The one thing I did not like, however, was the lack of a discovery cut-off, as it made for a rather messy end to the case -- but in the end, everything worked out, in large part due to Judge Wilson's efforts. Great job Judge Wilson. Thank you.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 24733
Rating:1.2

Comments:
Probably the worst federal judge I have had the misfortune of having a case with. Poor scholarship in his rulings, takes a lengthy period of time to rule on motions, and then sets trial about 60 days from ruling on a dispositive motion. Sorry, but if you are going to take a month to issue a ruling, you should probably give at least 3 times that amount of time to prep a case for trial!

Also had a colleague that had a case with him file an MSJ, and not only did he deny it, but he granted judgment to the NON-moving party, just to get the case out of his courtroom. There was no cross-MSJ, he just entered judgment for the other side. No evidence to support this ruling, just how he feels about the case. During oral argument he apparently knew nothing about the case (since his law clerk drafted the order for him). My guess would be this guy gets overturned a lot on appeal, letting newly minted attorneys act as federal judges.

It seems like his mission is to try to keep parties from filing in federal court, out of fear of being assigned to his courtroom. That is the only explanation that makes any sense to me.

It'll be a great day for Lady Justice when this guy finally retires.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 23678
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Horrible judge, simply horrible.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 23475
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Truly dreadful.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 23234
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is a maladapted, very unpleasant guy with too much power for someone who is as unbalanced and mean as he is.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 23138
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This very, very little man is a disgrace to the bench. He makes up his mind how he wants to rule and then fills in the blanks. He is very dishonest.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 23038
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The judges appalling ruling on the abuse of geese demonstrates weakness and caving to special interests instead of applying the law to establish civilized conduct.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 22903
Rating:6.0

Comments:
Notwithstanding his unimpressive reputation with the criminal defense bar, Judge Wilson performed admirably on a recent criminal sentencing. He asked the right questions and came to a fair and just result.

Other

Comment #: 22334
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I wish I could have given you a zero but since it's not available, i will give you a 1!

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 22318
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He needs to be replaced. A person without compassion should never be given a position of authority. How much soborno
was he given. He needs to have a pipe shoved down his throat until he dies like the geese do.

Other

Comment #: 22316
Rating:1.0

Comments:
A travesty this "judge" is still allowed to serve.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 22300
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
There was hope that as a society, we had been elevated to recognize archaic and barbaric practices AND take the appropriate action to rectify the ills. By turning back the hands of time, pompous, unenlightened "foodies" will unknowingly (or unabashedly) support the torture of these animals.

Other

Comment #: 22298
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Another judge who twists the law to support wrong over right: returning thousands and thousands of ducks and geese to torture in overturning California's foie gras ban...disgusting.

Other

Comment #: 22294
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I hope that when you lie down at night to sleep that you feel the same engorgement as geese and ducks and that you are unable to sleep knowing what you have done!

Other

Comment #: 22186
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Wilson had long over sat his term on this bench. He believes he is God. He is disrespectful to everyone in the courts. He humiliates professionals from attorney, to prosecutors, to probation. All respected positions in our legal system. I witnessed Monday a young man whom over the last 3.6 years transform ones life. Controlling case was a $0 loss financial crime. Yeah $0 loss. Recommended was 12 months and a day. Agreed by attorney and US attorney. Wilson pushed for 18 months at sentencing. This young man admitted guilt to a driving under the influence of below .10. He has been out on probation again for almost 4 years. Has not had one incident what so ever while on supervised release. Probation department first moves to handle the violation without citing defendant in to see a judge. Their professional opinion was this was an isolated incident and that a program and AA classes were sufficient. Judge Wilson over ruled and had the young man cited into the courts for a violation. Now let's take a few things into consideration that judge Wilson obviously did not. The defendant is now an owner of 3 companies employing upwards of 80 people. Probation dapartment gives full consent to such. Even has referred others on supervised release to defendants company for employment opportunities. He is a staple in his community. Married man with 4 children he supports. Current on all financial obligations. Probation department recommends NO jail time. US Attonery agreed with NO jail time. Judge Wilson handed down a 12 month sentence not eligible for any good time. The states case is likely to dismiss the case because the blood/alcohol level was so low. Yet judge Wilson despite the changes made by this young man and two other recommendations by respected employees of our federal government, still handed down this sentence. Now we wonder why the tax payers are paying about $175,000 in annual income for the two positions one probation and the other U.S. Attorney, if judge Wilson doesn't repsect their authority in decision making in the first place to at least consider ones recommendation. It makes no apparent sense. Judge Wilson we feel sorry for you. One day you'll be faced by YOUR judge and at yournd age that time is coming sooner than later. By the way it was my husband who was before you and sentenced to the 12 months in a federal prison. Does he deserve to face persecution for the actions he chose to take by drinking and getting behind the wheel of his car that night, absolutely. However this is a harsh sentence. Especially for a non violent non drug related offense. My husband provides an opportunity for close to 80 families to support themselves. He's a loving man. He has made mistakes, we've all made mistakes. It's time for you to step down old man. President Regan appointed you that position to fulfill in honoring our legal system not abusing it. Federal Prison population conintues to increase and over crowding is steady in issue. Shame on you. My husband walked out of that court room with his head held high. He went to his office and went back to work. Come January he will surrender his freedoms over to the BOP for 12 months, but he will return home still a wealthy, successful, business man, a loving husband and father, and again a staple in the community where he can extend his hand to help others. Thursday is thanksgiving day. We will be donating meals and passing out meals to those less fortunate. I write these things to express ones dislike for judge Wilson and allow others to be witness yet again to the arrogant man this judge is.

Other

Comment #: 22117
Rating:9.0

Comments:
I attended a hearing to support a friend charged with bank fraud. I was impressed with Judge Wilson's knowledge of the case and his questions to the lawyers. He was fair, thoughtful, intelligent and wise. He saw through the plea agreement that the FBI and the prosecution had strong-armed the defendant into agreeing to sign. He reaffirmed my faith in the justice system. He was interested in the truth. He considered the average American being attacked by the full force of the federal government. May he serve for years to come.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 22078
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I DO NOT KNOW THE GUY PERSONALLY BUT IT DOES SEEMS THAT HE IS NOT PREJUDICE TOWARDS AN INDIVIDUAL'S CIVIL RIGHTS BEING VIOLATED, MY HUSBAND IS A THREE-STRIKER LIFER, HE RECEIVED ONE OF HIS STRIKES FROM A CASE IN 1983,AND THIS JUDGE DID NOT FIND THIS VIOLATING MY HUSBAND'S AMENDMENTS.HE DENIED MY HUSBAND'S WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 21979
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
He is arrogant and an extremely bad judge. I won the first civil jury trial (civil rights for a woman employee) in his court right after he was appointed. He granted a new trial without any justification, attacked me repeatedly in front of the second jury, and they came back with a defense verdict which was as rapid as his rocket docket. He also tried to have me disbarred from the central district court only because I won a verdict for a woman employee! Luckily the disciplinary committee backed off. I will drop the case if I ever get stuck with him again. He caused me great trauma and my client never got over the fact he robbed her of her jury verdict against her employer. The tragedy is that there is no accountability for judges. other than judges providing themselves a professional courtesy there is no reason for them having absolute immunity. Police officers have qualified immunity. So should judges. In addition, disqualification of judges has to get easier. If they are rude and insulting, while attorneys claim they have to take it, such behavior takes its toll on one's emotional and mental equilibrium. There should be lawsuits called hostile court environment lawsuits. The courtroom is the work environment for litigation attorneys. They are entitled as any worker is to respect and courtesy. They often do not receive it from imperious personalities on the bench.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 21775
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I want to give a fair, honest assessment of my dealings with Judge Wilson. A few months ago, I had a trial with Judge Wilson. I did not lose the case. However, Judge Wilson was beyond horrible as a judge. The worst judge that I have ever seen - - by far. I have been a litigator for over 20 years, so this is saying a lot. However, this review is not written merely to trash Judge Wilson, but, rather, to give you some actual guidance on how to deal with the man.

When you first encounter Judge Wilson, he will strike you as an incredibly fair man. In pre-trial matters, Judge Wilson was extremely fair. He really listened to both sides and ruled on matters in a fair way. I had read so many negative reviews about him on the Robing Room before trial, that I was quite shocked to find him to be even-keeled and fair. He was very fair in ruling for me on a motion. I felt extremely comfortable heading into trial. I honestly felt that most of the people who had complained about him on the Robing Room were either just sore losers, or simply had a different personality from the judge.

Motions in Limine. I filed about 40 in limines. Opposing counsel kept declaring that Judge Wilson was going to be angry about the number of in limines. Not at all. Judge Wilson never complained about the number of in limines. Moreover, he granted two-thirds of my in limines. I figured that Judge Wilson was going to be fabulous at trial.

Voir Dire. Judge Wilson does not let lawyers ask questions during voir dire. Worse yet, he only asks jurors extremely generic questions (“Where do you work? Have you sat on a jury? Do you have any hobbies?”). Voir dire lasts about 45 minutes. It’s good if you hate voir dire, but bad because you literally know nothing about your jurors.

Trial. The honeymoon with Judge Wilson abruptly ends when trial starts. It’s like he becomes another person when trial starts. Shortly after our trial got under way, it became readily apparent that Judge Wilson was adamantly opposed to my client. He was SUPER aggressive with my witnesses, criticizing them in open court on multiple occasions, even yelling at them to “ANSWER THE QUESTION!” His conduct was so shocking that I didn’t know what to make of it. I’m as type-A as they come, so I don’t take to being shocked easily. Judge Wilson’s conduct was that shocking.

During trial he was INCREDIBLY rude to me. I grew up blue collar in a semi-ghetto neighborhood, so I’m not the kind of guy who gets his little feelings hurt. So, when I say that someone was rude, I mean beyond-the-pale rude. He was absolutely dismissive of multiple issues I raised even though the issues were highly relevant. I actually felt sad for the guy, as you could see he had a ton of anger built up in him. He openly displayed anger in court if you made the slightest misstep. To be frank, I felt like I was a lawyer in a courtroom in the Soviet Union. It was THAT bad. After the trial, one of the jurors commented that the judge treated the lawyers like they were children.

The worst part was that Judge Wilson let every conceivable piece of evidence in for the Defendants, evidence that had no business being let in. I figured that this could not happen, since two-thirds of my in limines had been granted. Wrong. Worse, this trashy evidence was difficult to deal with during the trial. Conversely, when I had extremely relevant evidence to introduce, he refused to let it in. I would never say that a judge consciously tries to make one side win, but, subconsciously, he was leaning as hard as one could for the defense. Every other poster on the Robing Room who complained about Judge Wilson being results-oriented was dead-on the money.

You need a plan if Judge Wilson is your judge. It does you no good if you just end up being another person that writes a critical review of Judge Wilson. Here are my tips for Judge Wilson:

1. Dismiss your case and file in State court. Make sure to remove any federal claims you have, so the that the case isn’t simply removed back to federal court (This idea was given to me by another lawyer who practices in federal court - - a great idea).

2. If you don’t want to dismiss, then try to get opposing counsel to stipulate to using a magistrate judge for trial.

3. If you are stuck with Judge Wilson, then you have to be ready with your law. Judge Wilson hated my guts during trial because I knew my law cold. If he had something to say, I was always ready with a counter argument. I was always civil and professional, even though he (quite literally) screamed at me a few times. When you get assaulted by Judge Wilson (which you will), don’t get caught up in the soap opera of wondering why he is so unjust and why he’s such a jerk. He’s been that way for 30 years. Your job is to get past that and to focus like a laser beam on your law and evidence. Don’t ever shy away from making an argument because you’re afraid that he’ll go ballistic. I would honestly practice ahead of time getting abused. Have a colleague act as the judge, and have him yell at you while you are making arguments. It is a sadistic form of batting practice, but it will actually help. You actually need to be ready to answer questions from someone who screams at you. I’M NOT KIDDING ABOUT THIS POINT. His lousy attitude is the one thing that will derail a person. You HAVE to be ready to deal with this.

4. One way to butter up Judge Wilson is to substantially shorten your case. He HATES long trials. The first time you see Judge Wilson, tell him that you think that this entire trial can be done in the half the time that you had originally planned. My trial should have last a week or more. With Judge Wilson, the entire trial lasted two days (which included voir dire). To be honest, it was better that the trial went quicker. As such, from the word go, preach to Judge Wilson that it is your goal to err on the side of brevity and to get this trial done in short order. That is one of the few things that makes him happy. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still be a jerk to you, but at least you’ll get some brownie points.

5. My mistake at trial was that there were several issues that I shied away from addressing because Judge Wilson had been so out–of-control and screaming so much. As much as I don’t like to admit it, it was somewhat intimidating. Next time, I will not shrink back from anything. The same goes for you. Address every single hard issue that needs addressing even if you know that Judge Wilson will throw a conniption fit. After the trial, the jurors complimented me on how I behaved in the face of Judge Wilson’s lunacy. Stick to your guns and realize that you are fighting for your client, not to become Judge Wilson’s new best friend. Women, don’t take this wrong, but, I feel sorry for women attorneys who have to appear in front of this man.

This man has been on the bench for over 30 years. There’s no use complaining about him to anybody because nothing will be done. You just have to take him as he is.

I am not a bitter person and it’s not my desire to take cheap shots at Judge Wilson. Rather, I just want you to know what you are getting into. Be strong, be brave, and get ready for the battle of your life.

Court Staff

Comment #: 21419
Rating:2.0

Comments:
This judge seriously lacks integrity.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 21418
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This judge is a stooge for the government. He simply can never forget that he was an assistant U.S. Attorney, even though he was a registered Democrat before he changed his voter registration to Republican in order to get his judicial appointment.

Other

Comment #: 21397
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The comments herein describe Judge Stephen V. Wilson accurately. I think that Judge Wilson's difficulty stems from his East Coast legal training, which is inadequate to rule on California cases. He couldn't even handle a TV court show. His incompetence is really disgusting!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 21090
Rating:8.3

Comments:
Excellent, equitable, smart, efficient.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 20954
Rating:2.3

Comments:
Picks a side and then is completely results-oriented toward that side. Is spiteful.

Litigant

Comment #: 20657
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
A suggestion for people who are pro se and have bad experiences in dealing with His Honor. Do a Google Scholar search of his cases that have been appealed. I found a silver bullet, and/or "smoking gun" in 2 cases he'd been involved in. One was where he sat on a Circuit panel, and the other was a case he had remanded. Both cases were sympatico with what I needed to put a halt to proceedings to get a judgment after summary and pending appeal. The Rule Of Law does create justice.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 19479
Rating:3.2

Comments:
Not interested in anything anyone has to say. Should just submit everything on the papers without hearing.

Other

Comment #: 19417
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I do not understand why so many lawyers are allowing this man to stay on the bench. Move to have the ba@#$%d impeached!

Litigant

Comment #: 19081
Rating:2.0

Comments:
His Honor pays no attention to cited appellate law or Supreme Court decisions if it doesn't fit his case framework. A year in litigation I had only 5 minutes of argument in all the motions answered by me. He disavowed deposition testimony and would not allow discovery of the plaintiff--without protection ordered.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 18675
Rating:1.7

Comments:
Result oriented, rude, unfair, mean spirited, federal-judgitiss, cantankorous, unreasonable

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 18507
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The person who wrote below that Steve Wilson was "one of the worst of the worst" was wrong. Wilson is by far the worst federal judge period.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 18404
Rating:4.3

Comments:
First appeared before him about 12 years ago. Based on the comments below, which are mostly true, nothing has changed.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 18256
Rating:3.2

Comments:
Biased towards business, anti-civil rights, goes out of his way to destroy plaintiffs before the case even begins.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 17829
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Wilson is completely results-oriented and pro-government. He decides what he wants the outcome of a case to be and then makes all his decisions to that end. On May 14, 2012, he again was reversed by the Ninth Circuit, this time in U.S.A. v. Ito, No. 10-56409, just five days after oral argument, for dismissing a forfeiture complaint without prejudice, so that the govt. wouldn't be liable for fees (as would have been the case had the dismissal been with prejudice). At oral argument, Ninth Circuit Judge John T. Noonan asked "Why would Judge Wilson do this?"
The answer is to benefit the govt. and to screw the forfeiture claimants' lawyer out of fees. Typical Judge Wilson.

Other

Comment #: 13578
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Wilson refused to process a writ of habeas corpus filed on behalf of severely disabled man, saying that no one but a barred attorney in California could file on the man's behalf. Habeas corpus does not permit attorneys to file on behalf of others in the capacity of attorneys, they can only do so as concerned persons. Wilson also first discussed the case with state officials, even said so in his "order" rejecting the petition, an admitted violation of the judicial code of conduct and now the man has been moved to a location where he is more likely to come down with pnuemonia and die, he has Marie Shark Toothe syndrome and he is a victim of the Ramparts scandal andGil Garcetti.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 13518
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Results oriented, sides with government.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 13428
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
A very crazy little man, a la Roy Cohn. Takes sides and results-oriented. Among he worst. Not a well-balanced adult. Has been known to run into the hallways where he lives in his pajamas, screaming, when he is annoyed that neighbors' dogs bark. Just an all-around nut case.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 12781
Rating:1.0

Comments:
One of the "worst of the worst." Ill tempered, lazy, rude and apparently suffering froma sexual identity crisis for mamny years.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 12694
Rating:7.2

Comments:
Appeared before him in a civil case law and motion matter involving renewal of a judgment. He had read the briefs,listened patiently to argument from both counsel, understood the nuances of the matter, reached the correct result under the law, and his law clerks wrote a detailed and clear six page order/opinion explaining the grounds for the result. What's not to like? That said, I had another case with him @20 years ago and experienced his "rocket docket," for which I did not care.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 12053
Rating:1.6

Comments:
Abusive, result-oriented tyrant. Makes up his mind as to who will win case and reaches results accordingly with no regard for facts of the case or applicable law.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 11900
Rating:3.2

Comments:
One of the worst judges in the Central District. VERY slow to issue rulings, and generally ignores unethical conduct by opposing counsel. Having a case assigned to Judge Wilson is basically like having no judge on the case at all. Sad.

And I concur 100% with the other comments about Judge Wilson's "rocket docket" -- even in complex cases he will set a trial 60-90 days after the answer is filed, leaving basically ZERO time for preparation. If you appear before Judge Wilson looking for due process, look elsewhere...

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 9836
Rating:2.0

Comments:
His rocket docket (trial set less than 2 months after answer filed) prevented any discovery at all. Stubbornly denied a joint stipulation/request by all parties for time for discovery. On remand after reversal rushed counsel to motions for summary judgment, then took 6 months to rule. Impatient and abusive to both sides. One of the worst judges I've appeared before in my 30-year career.

Other

Comment #: 9679
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Overturned conviction of twice convicted serail rapist and murderer Rodney James Alcala.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 8777
Rating:3.3

Comments:
He states that the only rule of FRCP that he pays attention to is Rule 1, which requires that the rules be construed to secure a just, speedy and inexpensive determination of every action and proceeding. His failure to apply the remaining rules leaves litigators in a quandary as to how to proceed, which is counterproductive to the intent of Rule 1. He issues orders from the bench, which are sometimes not consistent with the written order, which also leaves litigants in a quandary and increases the expense of litigation. If he took the trouble to apply all the rules and manages his cases better, he would achieve the goal of a just, speedy and inexpensive determination of the action.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 6443
Rating:1.3

Comments:
Ill-tempered, lazy, decides who he wants to win and then acts like a coach and corrupt referee to accomplish his desired result. Perhaps the worst sitting federal judge at the district court level.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 6299
Rating:7.6

Comments:
I handled a civil rights trial before Judge Wilson. He was tough and moved the case very quickly, with sometimes visible impatience in front of the jury over the pace of the questioning. He was equally tough on both sides, and thus I would say he was fair. He issued a very detailed and scholarly pretrial ruling on a key issue in the case.

Prosecutor

Comment #: 6113
Rating:7.4

Comments:
Can be an ill-prepared lawyer's nightmare - leans toward government - but overall fair. He needs to be persuaded logically.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 5984
Rating:1.9

Comments:
Judge Wilson continues to be completely biased against and very unfair toward plaintiffs and their counsel in civil rights cases -- particularly employment discrimination, harrassment, retaliation and wage-and-hour cases. He allows inadequate time for discovery.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 5958
Rating:1.4

Comments:
This judge is what Roy Cohn would have been like as a judge. Brutal, arrogant, abusive, results-oriented and highly political.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 5628
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This pro-government judicial tyrant makes up his mind how he wishes to decide and then spends all his time looking for authorities to back up his pre-conceived result. He is one of Randy Newman's truly "Short People."

Litigant

Comment #: 5597
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Very full of himself. Condescending to both sides. His intelligence is used only to stroke his ego. He's a prime example of why we need judicial term limits and judicial reform in general.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 5211
Rating:4.2

Comments:
Condescending to both the defense and government attorneys claiming he had been boxed in by what he considered to be a bad plea deal. He refused to follow the government recommendation on a 5K and substantially increased the sentence. His demeanor during sentencing was impatient and dismissive.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 5007
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I've practiced before Judge Wilson for twenty-five years, and have tried to jury verdict at least four civil rights trials before him (all of which I lost). For many years, until his marriage around 2001, he was brusque and impatient. As he got older, and after his marriage, his attitude and demeanor changed enormously: he actually said in court one day, to another lawyer: "I've learned that I have to be patient" -- and he has done that. This extremely intelligent and diligent workaholic has too much intellect and energy for his job, and gets frustrated. But he has gotten that under control and has become a real mensch. He no longer displays past traits described in other comments about him. He is the rare person who was able to change.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 4674
Rating:2.0

Comments:
This judge is very intelligent but rarely shows it. He loves jazz and from what I understand, is fairly accomplished as a musician.

I agree with the comments below, particularly from criminal defense counsel, having had several cases before him. In one case, we had solid grounds for a downward departure for probation or home confinement, which he rejected; but he found a way to soften the sentence. Of course, by doing so, he knew that any appeal would be a waste of time. Moreover, who wants to appear before him again on re-sentencing?

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 4607
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Petty and nasty. Has a reputation for being a misogynist and a bigot. Tries to intimidate and demean lawyers. Intelligent. However, only uses it to support his outcome-driven opinions and to clean the record to frustrate appeals.

Other

Comment #: 4080
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The Worst!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 4068
Rating:6.5

Comments:
Does not like oral argument or lawyers who are not prepared. Not the most pleasant demeanor in court, but he is intelligent and will move cases along.

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: 4043
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Perhaps the evil equivlant of Manny Real. He plays piano on government time and has law clerks and externs exercise the judicial power of an Article III Judge, which in my opinion is a high crime and an impeachable offense. Abusive, ill informed, a showman for his law clerks and a hot head.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: 2792
Rating:3.3

Comments:
Biased toward public entity defendant. Awarded 0 for pain and suffering in a PI court trial with clear liability and injuries -- until presented with case law that failure to make award is reversible error where there is a compensable injury. So he awarded pltf $500.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: 2421
Rating:2.0

Comments:
Very unfair toward plaintiff's in civil rights cases. Inadequate time for discovery. His is called the "rocket docket".

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Ratings

What others have said about Hon. Stephen V. Wilson

Comments

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Civil Litigation - Private

Litigant

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Other

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Civil Litigation - Private

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Other

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Other

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Other

Other

Other

Other

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Court Staff

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Other

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Litigant

Civil Litigation - Private

Other

Litigant

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

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Civil Litigation - Private

Other

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Civil Litigation - Private

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Other

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Private

Prosecutor

Civil Litigation - Private

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Litigant

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Civil Litigation - Private

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Other

Civil Litigation - Private

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Civil Litigation - Private

Criminal Defense Lawyer