"The Robing Room: CA State Judges

Hon. Yvette M. Palazuelos	See Rating Details
Judge Superior Court
Los Angeles County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 3.8 - 28 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 1.0 - 5 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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Only items marked with (*) are averaged into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

* 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=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)
* General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
* General Ability as a Trial Judge		(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)
Flexibility In Scheduling		(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation		(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
General Inclination Regarding Bail		(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)
Involvement in Plea Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)
General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage		(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

* Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation		(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)
Involvement in Settlement Discussions		(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)
General Inclination		(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

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What others have said about Hon. Yvette M. Palazuelos

Comments

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA48431
Rating:9.8

Comments:
Judge Palazuelos is a solid jurist who is both smart and well prepared. She permits counsel to fully develop their positions and does not rush either side at hearings. Her demeanor is very pleasant, respectful, and accommodating. She was a breath of fresh air at a recent conference in a wage-hour class action. She exhibited zero bias and was very even-handed in her rulings.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA37501
Rating:5.0

Comments:
This judge prejudges cases and issues and becomes a hard-headed advocate once she has reached an opinion as to who should prevail. Very result-oriented. Although I hate group thinking, I have come to the conclusion that she is biased against male attorneys when arguing against female attorneys.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA28750
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I don't know if she is on the bench any longer as I hear she is unfortunately ill. BUT, if still active, just horrible, no redeeming quality as a judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19865
Rating:1.4

Comments:
Do not let the academic credentials fool you. The perfect storm of ignorant and arrogant.

Does not understand either the substantive or procedural law.

Will make pronouncements at the mere mention that a certain motion may be filed of her intended decision without hearing from both sides let alone seeing a single paper filed.

Horrible demeanor on the bench.

Should never be allowed to hear appeals.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA16480
Rating:10.0

Comments:
One of the few judges at LASC who actually reads and understands all the papers prior to hearings, understands the law and facts, and makes decisions in an evenhanded manner. She has always been prepared when Ive been in front of her. Her courtroom could be more flexible on getting hearing dates in a timely manner, though.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA13216
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Very disappointing. She is a graduate of Stanford and Columbia Law and a former U.S. Attorney. She be very bright, but is quite lazy. She decides ex parte matters without the ability to present argument. On a motion, it is obvious from her tentative that she did not read any of the opposition and declarations provided by my clients and me because of if she had, she could not have reached the conclusions she did. She may be smart, but she is lazy or does not care. I would file a 170.6 if I am ever assigned to her court in another case.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11739
Rating:1.6

Comments:
This judge is terrible. She has no grasp of basic, basic legal standards -- like the standard on a motion to amend 10 months away from trial (denying the motion without any cognizable legal analysis). 170.6 her immediately!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11473
Rating:1.7

Comments:
Very disappointing, to put it mildly. Continued hearing for a month because she hadn't bothered to read the moving and opposing papers. Month later, at hearing, asked questions which made no sense and demonstrated that she didn't understand the applicable facts or law. Failed to issue a required statement of decision, or a judgment, or rule on objections regarding same. We finally had to appeal the mess she left just to take the matter out of her hands. A disaster. I would paper her every time. Hard to see how you could do worse.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA9796
Rating:8.4

Comments:
Have had her for a couple civil matters. Her tentatives reflect that she reads everything you give her on motion matters and makes informed decisions, which is all I care about. I have found her to be a lot more pleasant than other reviewers seem to think.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA8966
Rating:1.1

Comments:
One of the worst judges in Stanley Mosk Courthouse. She never takes the bench on time and never hears any argument re: ex-parte applications. She indulged opposing counsel with several continuances for no good cause. She also took a motion under submission for over 4 months. She has no idea about the law; she just stares and asks nonsensical questions. Very frustrating. I will always bump her.

Litigant

Comment #: CA8615
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is not a capable judge. She sustains & over rules at whim, as she likes. She acts more like a mediator than a judge; in the courtroom, we need a judge, not a mediator! We need a stricter character in a judge, not a soft spoken, allowing personality like her.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA7565
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge hates work and is hopelessly dim-witted. She does not understand simple legal concepts and refuses to read the papers. She is discourteous. After having a case for a year and after full briefing, she issued a tentative dismissing the entire matter on her own motion on the "jurisdictional" ground, never raised or mentioned in previous hearings, that a different LA Superior Court judge should have been assigned the case. The gambit collapsed. Just a sample.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA7212
Rating:2.4

Comments:
This judge does not know civil law and is too egotistical to listen to more informed attorneys. She has a disrespectful policy of not hearing argument, on ex parte applications. How can one oppose an ex parte application, if one has not even received it, until the day of hearing?

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6549
Rating:2.1

Comments:
Judge Palazuelos simply lacks the intellectual capacity to understand civil litigation. She is to egotistical to listen to experienced attorneys and makes unjust rulings. Her habit of not hearing oral argument for ex parte applications is disrespectful and ignorant.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6356
Rating:9.4

Comments:
This is one of the best judges I have had handling complex class actions. She takes the time to read the papers and makes parties respond to discovery as they should. Great judge.

Litigant

Comment #: CA6190
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She has allowed a pro se litigant AND another Vexatious litigant (who loves playing lawyer, who is not one and obviously one whom has was already sanctioned) to use her courtroom as a kangeroo court to sue anyone these two jerks deem appropriate. The remedy to when a vexatious litigant abuses court personnel and adverse parties is a heavy financial sanction or worse, jail time as previous judges against this litigant has threatened. She let's them fester and bends over backwards for them. So abhorrent - she should be disbarred.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5190
Rating:2.8

Comments:
I felt that she showed favoritism from the beginning to the end. It was like litigating against opposing counsel and the court in tandem. Hearings were like a poker game where she would not show her hand until after the hearing. Little thought or consideration was given to dispositive rulings, and no discussion of case law. She changed the basis of a large sanctions ruling after the hearing when the original rationale was based on incorrect facts in the record. I never got to address the basis for the sanctions because they were inconsistent with the tentative ruling. She made a few disrespectful comments from the bench that made my jaw drop.

She should hear ex parte applications. Other judges have time to do it.

Court Staff

Comment #: CA5100
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Treats court reporters horribly. If you speak up in her courtroom, she'll yell at you that you're not doing your job.
If she was doing her job, court reporters wouldn't have to speak up.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5053
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is aggressively stupid. She reads little, understands little and never changes her mind, no matter how strong the proof. She jumps to conclusions and cannot understand why she is wrong, even when amply demostated, even on the smallest items. She is just way over her head. She is the poster girl for affirmative action.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA4789
Rating:1.9

Comments:
She is possibly the dumbest judge that I have ever been before. She has no ability to even grasp issues, let alone provide any analysis of them.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA4614
Rating:2.4

Comments:
Judge Palazuelos allows her ego to rule the courtroom. She has the disrespectful practice of not hearing oral argument on ex parte matters, and she rules without considering all of the submitted papers.

Other

Comment #: CA4180
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The Jacksons have not been having a fair trial. She is so one-sided and seems to favor the AEG defendants since day one. I am very disappointed with this judge and her unfair treatment of the Jacksons.

Other

Comment #: CA4175
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Palazuelos displays clear and blatant bias in her court. She does not hear any wrong from one side, yet gangs up with that side and finds fault where there is none, then attacks and disrespects the opposing side. A complete contradiction of what an ethical California state judge should be. Disgraceful.

Other

Comment #: CA4173
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Extremely biased, although smart enough to know what's going on. Does not control the courtroom. Does not control witnesses when she likes them. Untrustworthy.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA4152
Rating:1.3

Comments:
In my personal opinion, Judge Yvette Palazuelos makes decisions that are very one-sided, biased, unfair, and inequitable. She should always remain fair, impartial, and neutral, but I have never seen this from her. Her actions, I feel, reflect very negatively on her as a judge and on the Superior Court of Los Angeles. She is supposed to represent the people of the state of California in good faith as an elected official. Unfortunately, I have not seen this from her.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA4145
Rating:1.3

Comments:
Judge Palazuelos is not equitable -- what is forbidden to one part is allowed to the other one. She demonstrates biased behavior.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3975
Rating:2.6

Comments:
She is stubborn and she is not too smart; certainly not as smart as she thinks she is. When you point out instances where she is wrong, she ignores you, instead of trying to make things work. She especially does not understand her powers as a judge. If you get her and care about your case or client, opt out of her courtroom.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA3949
Rating:9.6

Comments:
I can tell that she's read my papers before making a decision, and that she remembers what took place at the last conferences. A great judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3913
Rating:7.3

Comments:
Judge Palazuelos is smart and patient, so already she's in the top five per cent of L.A. judges. The biggest problem I have with her is scheduling motions. Her obnoxious clerk will only give you a date almost a year out (usually after your trial date) and you'll have to try to move the date ex parte, which is dicey at best. Judge Palazuelos seems to decide ex partes by flipping a coin. I've lost the ones I should have won, and won those I should have lost. Still, when this judge focuses on you and your motion, she's one of the best.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA1530
Rating:4.7

Comments:
Although I like appearing before her when I need a continuance, she's constantly late and sometimes looks disheveled, as though she just woke up.

In addition, she's a monster at handing out sanctions.