"The Robing Room: CA State Judges

Hon. Rolf Michael Treu	See Rating Details
Judge Superior Court
Los Angeles County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 4.6 - 32 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 3.0 - 11 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

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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. Rolf Michael Treu

Comments

Litigant

Comment #: CA52265
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
mean. loves to show up attorneys. won't let anyone speak. unbelievably rude. stay away if you can.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA51473
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Semi-divorced from reality. Cranky, nasty. Worst judge I have been in front of in LA.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA49699
Rating:2.4

Comments:
This is the first time that I have been moved to fill out a rating on a judge. Judge Treu was covering the calendar for another judge assigned to our case. He was rude and mean when I attempted to speak. The hearing was held by CourtCall video, and CourtCall was down until just before the start time of 10 am. The clerk informed him that they had audio only, although the rest of us had both video and audio. He was cranky, nasty and mean. He accused me of interrupting after I asked to speak. Imperiously said I should wait until he asked if any of us wanted to address the Court. Hard for us to tell when he was finished speaking since he wasn't on camera, but he didn't take that into account at all. He wasn't prepared --he didn't know that there was a Case Management Conference, which was the main reason for our appearance, in addition to the Order to Show Cause for sanctions that was on calendar for the Defendant's non-appearance at the last 2 CMCs. I was trying to bring him up to speed on the history of the last 2 failures to appear and the case law which permits the Judge to dismiss or default the corporate party who cannot appear pro per. He was just rude and nasty in the way he addressed me. I have practiced law for over 35 years, and he struck me as one of the most unpleasant and unnecessarily rude Judges I have appeared before. It is too soon to assess his other abilities or lack thereof, but based on his demeanor, I would speculate that he is not too bright, and was unprepared for the calendar. Therefore, would recommend avoiding him if you can, and/or 170.6 him. He should be retired.

Litigant

Comment #: CA40224
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
One of the cruelest judge whom u can see in family courts. Absolutely biased, cranky and perception based judge. I lost my mother due to this judge. He has blood on his hands. I pray God punish him the same way in hell

Other

Comment #: CA38348
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
One of the worse experiences I have had in front of a judge in the 25 years of practice. He will not allow you to put on your case. His thinking is antiquated and he needs to retire. I will paper him if he is still on the bench and I get sent to his department. I very unpleasant judge to appear before.

Other

Comment #: CA32058
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is an abomination to the family law court system. I spent tens of thousands of dollars to get a fair trial, even including a court ordered custody evaluation, only to have none of it read. This judge made a cursory opinion about my case the had a harmful impact on my then small children. And he was very incorrect as evidenced by my custody evaluation. If it weren’t for my strategy to settle before hearing the final conclusion from the judge, my children and I would have likely been harmed. This judge must retire. Attorneys and civilians alike are well-aware of his lack of professionalism; inability to care at all; cursory judgments without information, etc. Bad, bad man.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA32055
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Not smart. Will violate the law to suit his sadistic conduct to be bias toward one party over the other. Pays no attention to the law but will be nitpicky with lawyers. He is awful. 170.6 him immediately. He is a disservice to the legal community, and profession.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA31017
Rating:2.1

Comments:
This judge gets off on being mean. He is mean to attorneys, parties and staff alike. There is no reason for such behavior. Should be papered immediately. Doesn't know the law and doesn't listen or care.

Litigant

Comment #: CA24560
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Treu had the attorneys write his order, based on a 10-minute statement from each attorney regarding custody, and then wrote a minute order instead of delivering his decision in open court where it could be rebutted, and held me in violation of 4 court orders I had not been aware I had been accused of. So I had no due process. I fired my colliding attorneys and had no idea I could appeal the Judge Treu's ruling within 10 days of issuance of the Minute Orders (but there had to be new information provided to gain a re-hearing). I lost 100% legal and physical custody which devastated my son. My son has had to live with a father he only sees every other weekend for limited visitation.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19526
Rating:7.5

Comments:
This is in a CLETs hearing which was based on a property line dispute. He seemed a little cranky, but not unreasonably so.

Once the cross examination of the petitioner's only witness, he stopped the cross examination recognizing that petitioner failed to establish the actual property line. petitioner counsel tried to paint an e-mail from respondent, but Judge Treu recognized that it was not an admission.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA18272
Rating:2.0

Comments:
Something is very wrong with Judge Treu. He is getting to be really cranky. Maybe it is time for him to retire. I don't know who gave him a ten-star rating. It must be someone who unfairly received a favorable result. I agree with many of the comments submitted by other colleagues. He's a petty little man and a jerk. I wholeheartedly agree with a colleague who described him as "truly sadistic" and weird. He truly is! I felt vindicated that other attorneys have confirmed that he is sadistic and really enjoys being so.

I also agree with the colleague who stated, "Once he has made up his mind, a mountain of evidence won't sway his decision." He prevented substantial evidence from being admitted just to justify his already predetermined decision. This is not fair and is not in the best interest of children.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA17244
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Ethical , careful, constitutional and honorable define Judge Treu

Other

Comment #: CA17242
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Fair, dedicated, harnessed by delays and the system’s linear appeal but a man of credamce, careful constitutional and orders from his bence are heart felt in the chambers where witnesses are seated. I personally am ever grateful for his latitude when I approached Judge Treu for the use of his courtroom seven years running to advance blenbed middle, high school, college and vocational school students to hold trial for a redacted crimminal court case. Governor commended, Judge Rolf Treu is the hero short term visitors and outsiders seldom know. This judge gives honor, hard line ethics and welcomed eloquence to the term “Jurist”Thank you, Judge Treu for Supporting the community and the people who come to you!

Litigant

Comment #: CA11507
Rating:3.0

Comments:
Treu's lack of knowledge on Family Law is only exceeded by his high opinion of himself. His rulings are made with disregard to statue. It is very frustrating to be before him. He has no patience and does not listen to argument, making up his mind early on.

Once he has made up his mind a mountain of evidence won't sway his decision. He does not have the demeanor for family law. I am sure there are many families harmed by his "Pharaoh" disposition.

Litigant

Comment #: CA11170
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
DO I THINK JUDGE TREU READ ANY OF MY DOCUMENTS? From what he said in court, no, but I can’t say for sure. I do think that not allowing me to file a rebuttal to my ex’s rebuttal (received Friday night for a Tuesday hearing) was a mistake, because my ex took on different points that the judge spoke of and clearly accepted at the hearing. Evidently, law says I can’t rebut the moving party's rebuttal, so with that, I guess I should be grateful my ex didn’t say I was a crack head in his rebuttal, because I couldn’t rebut it at that point.

DO I THINK JUDGE TREU WAS BUFFALOED WITH BS BY MY EX? Yes, but that was to be expected. My ex is a lawyer and Judge Treu was new to our case and it always takes the new ones a bit to figure out that my ex is, in fact, a liar and a trickster, but they figure it out eventually. Judge Treu seemed like a smart man and I’m guessing he would have come around after a while.

DO I THINK JUDGE TREU WAS WRONG IN ALLOWING MY SON TO SPEAK TO HIM IN CHAMBERS? Yes, I think it was wrong, but some may find it hunky-dory to let their kids go to court. I also think he may not have considered that my son was under my ex’s influence for two months and had most likely been coached. I think allowing him to speak was a judicial decision that will haunt my son's future.

WITH ALL THAT I’VE WRITTEN, WHY WOULD I GIVE JUDGE TREU A HIGH RANKING? Even though I disapproved of my son speaking to Judge Treu and even though I believe it will cause my son feelings of guilt throughout his life, Judge Treu listened to my son.

IS THERE A SILVER LINING? Yes. Judge Treu ordered that my son continue weekly therapy and although I don’t much care for his therapist, it’s better than nothing. Judge Treu left the door open for my son to come home when he wants.

Prior to going to chambers to meet with my son, Judge Treu briefly appeared to question my ex’s truthfulness. I’ll never know if he thought he should have accepted my rebuttal or not and that’s not what’s important anyhow. I feel confident that my son knows that I was there fighting for him as his mother and I know because of that, my son will not have the abandonment and emotional difficulties my ex has had all his life due to his mother abandoning him (which is probably largely the root of the many attempts to eliminate our son’s mother the last decade).

After speaking to my son in chambers, Judge Treu seemed emotional when he took the bench to rule against me, saying he was going with my son’s preference and giving my ex Primary Physical Custody. Nobody likes to hear that and I'm sure it's hard to dish it out and Judge Treu's demeanor sure showed it.

I don’t want Judge Treu to be upset with his ruling on this one. I knew going in that I stood a high chance of losing and I’ve focused on some silver linings: My son is the same age I was when I left home. I think my ex has stopped drinking. I'll be spending more time at both of my grandsons' baseball games. And lastly, years ago, I watched one of my daughters dwindle away with cancer until she died on my lap. I spent every moment with her, but I’ll never see her again. I won’t get to spend every moment with my son, but thank God, he’s only a few blocks away. I’m okay.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA10405
Rating:1.5

Comments:
Seems only interested in getting done his calendar as quickly as possible. Will hold it against you if you dare call a witness or try and present evidence as that may mean he may have to push back his tee time. Cruel. Punitive. Unreasonable. Uncaring. No business in family law, can't fathoms how many families he ruined. Sad that this man represents what the state of justice is in LA county.

Litigant

Comment #: CA8723
Rating:3.0

Comments:
This judge is very no nonsense and quick to impose sanctions. That would be a real asset if he were familiar with family law. Unfortunately Judge Treu does not know family law and to make matters far worse he does not familiarize himself with the moving papers prior to hearing. Be prepared to argue ALL points of your case at hearing because he will not be familiar with your position. In my case involving custody he did not understand the two differences in law being the Best interest of the Child vs Material Change in Circumstance and was not willing to hear why he was not using the correct standard. Seeing cases heard prior to mine, I would also offer that he does not seem to appreciate those in Pro Per. He seems impatient and became frustrated very quickly. It is quit a contrast to some of the Judges that nearly argue the case for the Pro Per litigant. Neither are in the interest of justice. I would not suggest being Pro Per in front of this judge, his impatient demeaner and lack of knowledge on family law will put the Per Per in a position that they are very unlikely to prevail regardless of the facts. Very few Pro Per litigants possess the oral aptitude to overcome the lack of reading the moving papers with sound argument at hearing.

Litigant

Comment #: CA8721
Rating:3.0

Comments:
This judge is very no nonsense and quick to impose sanctions. That would be a real asset if he were familiar with family law. Unfortunately Judge Treu does not know family law and to make matters far worse he does no familiarize himself with the moving papers prior to hearing. Be prepared to argue ALL points of your case at hearing because he will no be familiar with your position. In my case involving custody he did not understand the two differences in law being the Best interest of the Child vs Material Change in Circumstance and was not willing to hear why he was not using the correct standard. Seeing case heard prior to mine, I would also offer that he does not seem to appreciate those in Pro Per. He seems impatient and became frustrated very quickly. It is quit a contrast to some of the Judges that nearly argue the case for the Pro Per litigant. Neither are in the interest of justice. I would not suggest being Pro Per in front of this judge, his impatient demeaner and lack of knowledge on family law will put the Per Per in a position that they are very unlikely to prevail regards of the facts. Very few Pro Per litigants possess the oral aptitude to overcome the lack of reading the moving papers with sound argument at hearing.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA8464
Rating:4.5

Comments:
What an uncomfortable experience it is to be in front of this judge. He seems to like the power and ability to vent and be short tempered and nasty. The only reason not to 170.6 him is because sadly there are a couple of worse judges, but not many!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA8114
Rating:3.4

Comments:
Bad judge. Vindictive, unreasonable, abusive. He likes to sanction attorneys for procedural matters, big and small. Seems to know procedure (at least in terms of sanctioning), but not very good at the merits of things and legal analysis. Actually cited to cases that stood for the opposite of his ruling once. He is condescending and rude. Likes to show he is the sheriff, but doesn't care that he is not a very good one.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA7878
Rating:2.0

Comments:
A maniac who should not be allowed around other people let alone allowed to sit on the bench. He truly hates all people who appear in his courtroom (attorneys, witnesses, etc.).

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA7482
Rating:9.3

Comments:
Very sharp judge who does his homework on the law. EXTREMELY punctual - he starts at 8:30 sharp and if you're going to be late, call the clerk no later than 8:20. Watch out for the meet and confer requirement for CMS - he will sanction for failure to follow. He runs a tight ship, but is predictable in that regard.

Prosecutor

Comment #: CA6566
Rating:1.7

Comments:
Bad judge all around. Should NEVER be in this job!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6437
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
I have appeared before Judge Treu at least twice, and, on both occasions, it was a very unpleasant experience. When communicating with attorneys, he is both rude and condescending. He is anal retentive when it comes to complying with court rules, and, is liberal in ordering an attorney and/or a party to pay sanctions for an otherwise minute violation of the rules. Should I ever have the misfortune of having a case assigned to him, I will immediately affidavit him under C.C.P. Section 170.6.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6400
Rating:3.7

Comments:
He's a petty little man when it comes to sanctions, actually he's a jerk when it comes to sanctions. He's the .01 percent of the bench who will sanction attorneys for some infraction, real or perceived, where the other 99.9 percent of the bench would just let it go. If you don't mind walking on eggshells, acting totally obsequious in front of him, and watching your back for sanctions, then he's fine. He's just really sadistic and weird when it comes to sanctioning attorneys - he really enjoys it. He really does.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5798
Rating:9.1

Comments:
Judge Treau is decisive, strict, has limited patience, does not suffer fools, expects lawyers to comply with rules, and is serious as a heart attack.

His tentative are long and thoughtful and he typically holds to them.

He is not terribly patient. If you're talking and he is playing with a rubber band, then he is bored and is not listening--you've lost him. Get a clue.

He expects straight answers to straight questions, so if he asks you a yes or no question, be prepared to answer with a yes or no. If you can't then it better be "Generally yes, your honor, but may I explain?" or something like that.

In short, he is a great judge and has decisive temperament which I happen to like. Like any judge, he can get the law wrong.

Most of the negative comments below deal with one tough issue which could have gone either way, so take those comments with proverbial grain of salt.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5797
Rating:9.1

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5773
Rating:5.4

Comments:
It is pure misery to be in this judge's courtroom. You cannot whisper, you cannot say anything more than yes or no depending on his mood. Sometimes he will talk to his staff while you are addressing him. If you ask the staff what is expected in the department it is like pulling teeth to get an answer. They hate it when you call, they hate it when you ask questions, they all treat the lawyers with little respect or empathy for the tough job that we do. I have appeared in front of this judge about 5 times. For each appearance the judge sanctioned lawyers in cases called before mine. Hey judge, we are not the answer to the budget crisis! His rulings are also inconsistent and by that I mean he plays favorites while using nit picky local rules to manipulate the litigation. I even think his research clerk is miserable and her writing is terrible. I dont need a chronology of events in a tentative, I know the chronology and if not, I can look on the register of actions. I want to read some analysis and you don't get much of that in this department. His courtroom is uncomfortable, unwelcoming and all of the lawyers sitting around look at eachother in disbelief while he is hammering lawyer after lawyer like he is a 1L professor. I have noticed that he acts differently on the record. So if you have something important at issue, take your court reporter to help to keep The wolf at bay. Treu's department should be renumbered from Dept 58 to Dept 170.6 because nobody should have to endure him.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5673
Rating:3.0

Comments:
Some of the reviews on this guy's page make me really wish they had moderators to delete comments made by non-attorneys...ESPECIALLY people who have never appeared before the judge. It completely takes the point out of this website.

Anyways, this review has NOTHING to do with this judge's one ruling upon which apparently 50% of the reviews on here are based. I actually appeared in front of Rolf "the Wolf" Treu (as some people call him) and lived to tell the tale.

When you think of "bad" judges as an attorney, there are 2 types: (1) people who don't know the law and are too lazy to learn it, thus making inconsistent and/or poor rulings; and (2) people who make practicing law a miserable task. This judge happens to combine both into one!

As many of the (actually relevant) reviews on here mentioned, this man is (to put it lightly) sanction happy. I'm not sure if this guy is on the Court's Budget Committee and is trying to raise money for the system by maxing out the sanctions he hands out, but he reminds me of a cop with a quota system...every time you go to his courtroom, you will see him issue sanctions to some poor hapless associate who had the extreme misfortune of being assigned to the "Wolf Den" (as I refer to his courtroom).

Usually it will be something like him pulling an irrelevant question from where the sun don't shine, and when this doomed soul replies s/he would need to check on the answer to said inane question, the Wolf will drop the hammer by issuing either sanctions or setting an OSC re Sanctions (wherein he will force the victim of the Wolf attack to draft a pleading stating "why s/he was unprepared for court," as if they were a 5th grader being forced to write a paper about why putting gum in little Billy's hair was wrong.)

As to his knowledge of the law, I am not sure I agree with those reviews (below the political tirades)that say he is a master of the Civil Code/Code of Civil Procedure. He certainly has his favorite sections (i.e. the ones that focus on punishing attorneys for being unprepared for court), but his rulings seemed fairly inconsistent in the cases I have had before him. To his credit, he will sometimes stop proceedings to look up statutes when he realizes that he doesn't know what you are talking about (instead of faking it like some judges), but if you can't immediately cite the authority showing him that his incorrect belief is in fact wrong, you are up a creek without a paddle.

As a litigator, there are times when you have nightmares of what can go wrong in court, or what could happen if you have the misfortune of getting assigned to THAT judge. Unfortunately, Judge Rolf "the Wolf" Treu IS THAT judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5474
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Thank you Judge Treu. The unions have destroyed Calif. The majority of teachers are worthless and cannot "instruct." The charters apparently came to save the day. The schools should be teaching many of the students a trade not how to share the toilets with transvestites.

Other

Comment #: CA5448
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
There are several factors that affect student achievement. To conclude that tenure is the cause of student failure is illogical. Strongly disagree with Judge Treu's ruling.

Other

Comment #: CA5345
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I taught in the California University system for 34 years and have seen that many "teachers" have been awarded tenure because of their ability to bring in funding for research projects. I have also seen that after being awarded tenure some "teachers" are unwilling to spend the time required to prepare for their teaching assignments. I have never seen an administration willing to enter a fight to attempt to fire a tenured faculty member. I agree with Judge Treu's tenure decision.

Other

Comment #: CA5337
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Treu's astonishing argument in the Vergara case contains "thinking" that would be laughed out of Logic 101 at the community college level. By an of several reliable estimates, the number of incompetent teachers is between 1% and 3% of the teachers credentialed to work and presently teaching in California. If this is true, how can the constitutional rights of the vast majority of students in California (between 99% and 97%) possibly be affected by teacher tenure laws?

Teacher tenure laws are designed to protect teachers from political retribution, silencing and removal by right-wing ideologues like Judge Treu. And the tenure laws do protect teachers from people with pro-corporate, anti-education agendas, like Judge Treu (and certain parents, administrators and wealthy "philanthropists").

The greatest threat to education in California would be a teaching staff bought and paid for, and accountable to, corporate interests such as the Gates Foundation and others. This is precisely the dystopian scenario that Judge Treu's ruling, if not challenged and overturned by a higher, and saner, court, will bring to pass.

Other

Comment #: CA5322
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
My brother retired as a teacher after many years of dedicated work. He was able to retire because the unions were there for him. Unions built the middle class. It is the unions job to protect teachers. Whether the tenure laws needed to be fixed to address the problem of bad teachers not being able to be terminated is something that should be debated. However, demonizing the unions is wrong and politically motivated. The main problem is not tenured teachers but the continued cuts to education and the thousands of layoffs occurring, especially in red states.

Other

Comment #: CA5299
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Now there is no incentive for intelligent and talented people to be teachers. Let's hold hands and celebrate the Death Blow to Education (DBE) in California.

The students in poor communities have poor education because very few good teachers want to risk their lives and/or waste their time trying to reach kids who do not care at all about education, so those districts hire whoever they can. Under law, they can hire teachers who are not fully qualified to teach under such special circumstances. And classes have been getting bigger and bigger-- so big that it is now very difficult to impossible to reach The Distracted Generation.

Teachers with tenure get fired all the time. That is not at all what this decision is really about. Follow the money trail. See who funded this lawsuit. Continue to follow the agenda as it progresses through court systems in every state.

Hold teachers accountable for test scores? Kids literally with brain damage and a host of physical and mental issues are mainstreamed. Holding a teacher accountable for the learning of someone with brain damage is like putting little leaguers on a major league team and holding the manager accountable for daily drubbings.

This is not what it seems on the surface.

The judge is not dumb. He is a willing servant of the dismantling of the education system.

This is a complicated situation, and here we see those taking advantage by gross oversimplification.

If you think it is bad now, stay tuned.

Other

Comment #: CA5298
Rating:2.0

Comments:
Disapprove your decision. Sometimes even Judges can make mistakes in interpreting evidence as it applies to laws. Appeal.

Other

Comment #: CA5297
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Finally someone has the balls to attempt to eliminate tenure. My hat is off to you!

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA5293
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Thank God, you are a judge with GREAT understanding and you are to be commended for your ruling. If I lived near I'd pin a star on you.
I cant tell you how many BAD teachers my 20+ year old childern had to put up with going to school. Some of them could have never kept a job in the private sector, but were protected by a union. Mean while young up and coming teachers were let go to keep under and non performing teachers In place.
Get ready for the on sloth by the unions and teachers, etc, but don't give in or up. You did the RIGHT thing and you are to be commended.
thank you for your courage,

Joe Mosca

Litigant

Comment #: CA5292
Rating:1.0

Comments:
First off, due process rights should belong to all people. Secondly, school administrations have every right and responsibility to dismiss ineffective teachers. Tenure status does not guarantee that the ineffective cannot be fired--it protects people from unfair firings without merit. An administration doing its job can and should dismiss those who are ineffective.

Tenure is a two-way street. Districts invest in teachers by granting them tenure after they have proven they deserve it. Tenured teachers, in turn, stay with these communities thus making investments in them. They do not job hop like people in other professions do. Maintaining stability in the public schools is the key to community sustainability. Dismantling this investment will weaken and destroy communities.

This suit should have been brought against incompetent school administrations for a) granting tenure to ineffective teachers and b) failing to present the burden of proof that said teachers were ineffective, thus successfully dismissing them. The suit was not brought up that way because a) the two out three teachers in the suit who had tenure were granted tenure because they earned it and b) the administration did not have enough of a case to dismiss them.

This was a bogus witch-hunt with political ties to the ultra right-wing conservative platform against employee rights and unions. The action of filing this lawsuit, its plaintiffs and this judge are a disgrace and did a great disservice to the working people of this country. No state in this country that has demolished workers rights has superior schools, yet the states with a unionized teacher force have the top schools in the country. Coincidence?

Prosecutor

Comment #: CA5291
Rating:1.6

Comments:
Shoddy work. Biased rulings. Will almost always favor those with money, connections and conservative politics.

It's a disgrace that Judge Rolf Treu is even on the bench. Right-wingers will continue to seek him out and hope that he'll be the one trying their cases.

A man like this does not belong in the judiciary.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA5289
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Our family and friends celebrate a recent action taken by Judge Treu, in which he ruled against existing
laws that protect ineffective school teachers. Our
country needs this change desperately, for the purpose
of elevating education for all.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5268
Rating:2.9

Comments:
This is a judge I would absolutely 170.6 if I got assigned to him again. I had a case where I appeared telephonically at the Case Management Conference and the guy didn't even understand what kind of action the case was, repeatedly asked me questions that were entirely irrelevant to the matter, set an OSC re Sanctions for "failure to be prepared" to answer his inane questions, and cut my telephonic hearing off before I could explain why his questions were inapplicable.

At the OSC re Sanctions, he levied sanctions against me at the commencement of the hearing without letting me be heard (the only time in my career I have been sanctioned). After I cited him statutory law that essentially proved his questions at the previous Case Management Conference entirely irrelevant, he decided that rather than admit he was wrong and drop the sanctions, he would "stay the sanctions, to be re-imposed at a future date, should counsel be unprepared again."

As many below said, this guy has the worst temperament I have ever seen from a state judge. While one could argue that his is extremely strict, "by the book" demeanor keeps hearings quick and cuts through the BS, this is one judge I will pray to never go in front of again.

If you do have to go in front of this guy, make sure you know the case forwards and backwards, including answers to questions that have NOTHING to do with the case.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5074
Rating:4.3

Comments:
This judge is vindictive and eager to issue sanctions. I've been in his courtroom on a number of matters, and rarely does a morning calendar happen without at least three parties being sanctioned. He is a blight on the judicial system and should be removed.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5021
Rating:2.6

Comments:
Disaster. Didn't read the papers or if he did, failed to understand them.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA4438
Rating:9.8

Comments:
Of all the judges, he's the best! He is fair, well-prepared, and knowledgeable.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA4188
Rating:9.1

Comments:
Judge Treu is a very hard-working jurist who reads the papers carefully, analyzes issues in well-written tentatives, and most importantly, follows the law. He is stern and has high standards, especially on Civil Procedure and California Rules of Court. You really do have to follow the rules, and that benefits everyone. It's a relief because the law will be followed, and he is not a "last one who speaks wins" wishy-washy judge. At oral argument, he does not like weasel answers, so don't avoid his questions and just get straight to the point. I have not found him harsh on sanctions. If you have a good excuse he listens. I think that his clerk is excellent (unlike one of the prior posts). One of the best judges in Central. And you gotta love that he rides to work on his motorcycle in jodhpurs!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3570
Rating:8.8

Comments:
An intelligent jurist. If you follow the Code of Civil Procedure and the California Rules of Court, you will be fine in this courtroom. Make sure you actually meet and confer before you file your CMC statement. At summary judgment, make certain that your documents are properly formatted according to the code and rules of court. He is a stickler for rules/procedure, but I actually appreciate that about him. He is a judge, and you will know it being in his court.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA3281
Rating:6.3

Comments:
Judge Treu knows the Code of Civil Procedure and Court Rules by heart, and expects everyone else to know them equally well. He lives to find breaches of the rules, and will issue monetary sanctions for any violation, no matter how trivial. I guess he believes that will make us better lawyers, and maybe he is right. He reminds me of the stereotypical school teacher that walks around with a ruler, and whacks any kid who talks in class. If you can get past being treated like an undisciplined child, and not like an adult and professional (and he treats everyone that way, no matter how adult and professional), then you could do worse, because Judge Treu is smart and hard-working, and can be relied upon to read the papers and rule based on the law.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA2992
Rating:5.3

Comments:
I wouldn't go so far as to paper Judge Treu (because you could do much worse in Central), but he's FAR too strict. Judges like this make being an attorney suck. I think these types of judges either never practiced, or have forgotten how hard it is to be a civil litigator. He sanctions people without a hearing and is far too temperamental. If you miss a hearing, you're getting sanctioned, whether you were in a car crash, or your wife died that morning and you couldn't make it to court. You have to go into court ex parte to get relief, but is it even worth it at that point? To sanction someone without hearing their story is just so...not judge-like.

Make sure you have a CMC statement, because you're getting sanctioned if you don't have that too. I've actually had only favorable rulings in front of Judge Treu, but sooner or later, I will make a mistake, and it's going to be no sympathy whatsoever.

Ohh, and the clerk he has is just a miserable, little troll. God forbid you call his clerk with a question (not like that's his job or anything), because he's too busy to bother with you, unless it's to be condescending and make himself feel superior to the people around him who are actually successful in life.

Last time I was in this department, it was a different clerk. I hope that guy got fired (like that would ever happen in LASC), or just decided to do something else. My entire staff dreads calling the department because of this guy.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA2878
Rating:2.2

Comments:
difficult, inflexible, predisposed to use rules to deny relief rather than address merits, definitely not user friendly nor does he appear interested in being user friendly

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA1868
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He is probably 170.6 worhty if there weren't so many other horrible judges in Central. He has a nasty disposition and he is petty. If you can get past that, he is an average judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA1108
Rating:8.3

Comments:
Obey every punctilio of the rules/code and you will be okay with this very competent judge, but watch out - he loves to issue $anction$.