"The Robing Room: CA State Judges

Hon. Randolph M. Hammock	See Rating Details
Judge Superior Court
Los Angeles County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 5.7 - 45 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: - 0 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. Randolph M. Hammock

Comments

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA54731
Rating:1.1

Comments:
Randolph Hammock has a voice that ranges from loud to booming, and he frequently raises it, often shouting at attorneys. He is known to take cheap shots and build straw-man arguments, all while raising his voice. When delivering unfavorable rulings, he mocks the attorneys involved, displaying behavior that is undeniably unprofessional.

Although not overtly racist, Hammock clearly benefits from white privilege and often invokes woke ideology to justify his rulings, while simultaneously demonstrating a pompous attitude that underscores this privilege. His treatment of attorneys of color has been heavily criticized, as he has a reputation for ridiculing and sanctioning minority attorneys. If you are a person of color, proceeding with caution is a must when appearing before him.

Hammock’s inconsistency in rulings often contradicts previous decisions, and he fixates on casting one side as the villain, waiting for an opportunity to berate them on record. It’s obvious that he is emasculated at home by his wife and takes out his frustrations on the people in his courtroom. Hammock embodies the demeanor of a physically unimposing bully with a god complex, frequently pausing to laugh at his own jokes during hearings. His behavior, marked by condescension and arrogance, makes him an obnoxious figure who should never have been entrusted with any authority.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA53716
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He seems to love wealthy persons or persons represented by wealthy firms, or court reporting firms, since his wife is a court reporter. If you are not, I predict that he will ignore the facts and California law and you will lose. Affidavit him, unless you are wealthy or represented by a wealthy firm. Surely one of the worst judges California ever had. A crack addict off the street would be better as a judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA53164
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I just read his ruling in the Remini vs. Church of Scientology case. He got the nail right on the head. Brilliant! He must be one of the smartest judges at Mosk.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA52959
Rating:6.1

Comments:
Judge Hammock can be a bit "bi-polar," for lack of a better phrase. He is often right on the law and moves through his calendar quickly. However, when he is in a bad mood, he behaves like a petulant child - cussing at counsel, yelling at them, and even threatening them with his "inherent power" to do "whatever [he] wants."
In other words, on occasion, he lacks judicial temperament and may even make misrepresentations about counsel on the record. If it were not for several truly awful judges at Stanley Mosk, he would be a ding for me, but alas, judges like Meier and Byrdsong are worse because they are rarely right on the law.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA52627
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He is erratic and yells a lot. He is biased against black female lawyers, who he exhibits bias towards and will sabotage their cases with his sneaky grin. Shows up at plaintiff conventions but is very pro defense. Unless you are one of his cronies, beware. People tout that he is so bright but the mistakes he makes in cases must be intentional then, as they are quite obvious. He is bright enough to really sabotage a righteous case many times over. 170.6.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA51962
Rating:9.4

Comments:
He is one of the brightest and best at Mosk. He does need to work on his temperament.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA49152
Rating:1.5

Comments:
On a good day, judge loses his temper in one out of every three to four hearings. When he's not screaming he's mocking plaintiffs and defendants. He's cruel, inconsistent, erratic, and has one of the worst tempers in LA county. He hands out sanctions like candy on Halloween. Worst judge in the state, a physically weak bully. Avoid him at all costs.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA48569
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He is rather erratic, and will find a way to really screw up rulings. They will make very little sense and he seems to fix the case so that you have no way of winning or ultimately prevailing. Seems to have a defense bend though I was told he used to be a plaintiff PI lawyer. His pretrial rulings are absurd. My very first appearance before him he yelled at me for no reason. He seems mysogonistic and perhaps racist or has a gender bias against women. Lots of lawyers like him, but they are men who I have heard give him positive reviews. Collecting a paycheck and screwing up cases in the process. A decent judge would be great for a change. One who is fair to everybody.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA48003
Rating:10.0

Comments:
it’s clear to anyone that the last poster (who apparently has posted several times before) has some sort of personal vendetta against Judge Hammock. I have had several cases and trials before him. He is neither racist or pro defense. If you have a good case, he will rule in your favor. If you don’t, he will rule against you. Nothing sinister about that.

You say he is pro corporate defendant? See this link:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/los-angeles-superior-court-judge-awards-500-000-in-punitive-damages-against-the-wheel-group-for-firing-their-employee-because-she-had-cancer-300757344.html

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA47794
Rating:1.0

Comments:
He is one of the worst and most racist judges in California. Affidavit him if you get him, unless you represent a wealthy individual or company. If you do represent such wealthy persons, he will do everything to help your case and disregard all California laws to do so. He should never have kept his legal license and definitely should not be a judge. His and his family's finances should be carefully investigated.

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: CA43083
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is very evil with no compassion for victims of a crime who case he is assigned. I was involved in a civil lawsuit with the city of Torrance due to being a victim of a crime where I was assaulted on a bus by a complete stranger on true for no reason, except that they were on drugs. The city claim that no unjuries occured on their bus even though it as on camera. Victims of crime made me sue them. This court case was settled in 2018, but this evil judge has disregarded the fact that I am a victim of a crime and has put my civil court case on trellis research pointing to him, misrepresenting the facts of the case as if its still pending and has been making money off of my personal pain which has left me partial disable. He is making fun of me telling every one how badly I was beaten , and to sign up to review what happen to me. He and the city of torrnce are working together to defame me and make me look bad because of how badly they handle my case and not appear racist, but they are. I have screenshots to prove what they have been publishing about me as a victim of a crime who is supposed to have some level of privacy. I will see what legal action I can pursue against this judge for defamation, pain, suffering, post-traumatic stress, and making money off of me by publishing my civil case on all search engines for publicity.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA42961
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is intellectually indolent, pro defendant, refuse to follow the law when it goes against the party he likes, and [redacted], affidavit this guy immediately.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA41635
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Updating my prior comment: if there are any positive reviews about this judge here, I suspect that they are by parties who appeared before him who are white and wealthy, whom he ignored the law to benefit, or maybe, even by the judge himself or his wife or his cronies. Affidavit this person quickly! I would urge that the few, LA judges that seem to focus on benefiting wealthy, white defendants/plaintiffs should have their finances and their relatives' finances checked to see if they are getting any "compensation" for their ignoring the law in their pro-wealthy, pro-white party rulings. It would not surprise me given what I have heard confidentially.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA41634
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I opine that the law does not matter to this "judge." He is like Donald Trump in a robe. This is the second, most racist, and one of the worst, most incompetent judges that I have ever had the misfortune to go before. Given a recent decision, I will be filing a complaint as to his abuse to the commission for judicial performance. If you are white or of one of the preferred racial groups, and wealthy, this person will always rule for you. If not, affidavit this person, who shows how judges are now above the law and do whatever they want to do, abusing parties before them regardless of the rules. He is an example of how anyone can get elected judge now by the gullible public, e.g., if he can get a sponsor to promote him. He may try to cover by now being temporarily nice to groups that he clearly despises. However, his true feelings will ultimately shine through in his rulings. (He is pro-wealthy, white defendant; I suspect he would be pro-wealthy, white plaintiff too.)

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA40719
Rating:6.9

Comments:
He told me that he doesn't like my type of cases, but he will follow the law. He then scolded defense counsel for not paying attention. In discovery dispute, he didn't award monetary sanctions, but said it could be added as part of the statutory fee shifting.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA36171
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Frankly I don't understand or agree with the last comment (#CA36148). Are you sure you are talking about Judge Hammock? Perhaps you are confusing him with a Temporary Judge Pro Tem, who also sit in his courtroom at times? I am an actual "criminal defense lawyer" who appears before Judge Hammock often. He is probably the nicest judge who has ever sat in the Traffic court in Torrance. He is polite to everyone. Since he has been assigned there he literally has been cutting all fines in half (or even more). It is not unusual for him to cut a $2,000 ticket to a mere $100. I have personally seen him do this! I can't imagine him being a "racist" as you claim. He treats every defendant and lawyer with respect, so far as I have seen and heard. As for this sign warning about "no recording,' that is put up by the LASC, not the judge. It appears in every courtroom, and it is based upon the Rules of Court. Moreover, it is my understanding that every case is, in fact, electronically recorded by the Court. They do this for any appeals, or to protect the bench officers from statements of alleged inappropriate conduct. I would suggest that you reconsider your comments, or in the alternative, state the actual facts upon which you base those comments. We need more judges like Judge Hammock, not less.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA36148
Rating:1.0

Comments:
One of the two WORST and most racist judges in California. He is careful not to say anything overtly racist against dark-skinned persons and minorities, but his actions speak for themselves. He would fit in well with the KKK if he is secretly not in it already. He has a plaque outside his courtroom forbidding recordings in it, because he is apparently terrified of having his misconduct publicly proven. He should be investigated by the authorities, since he will disregard California law to benefit the wealthy.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA35638
Rating:9.8

Comments:
What happened to Judge Hammock? I see that he is no longer at Mosk, which is too bad, since he was one of the BEST judges there. I hope is okay and I hope he comes back soon. We need him!!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA34513
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I just recently attended, via Zoom, a MCLE seminar conducted by Judge Hammock on Civil Discovery. It was one of the most informative and entertaining seminars I have ever attended. He was extremely knowledgeable and funny. I was very impressed by him and his insights. I am surprised to see from the last comment that he is assigned to a criminal court. He seemed to have a good temperament to me.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA34501
Rating:1.0

Comments:
in 15 years of criminal defense, this judge has the worst temperament of any I have appeared before. He completely missed the point of my motion and refused to allow me to argue my point. He told me that if I was going to argue, he would rule against me, which he did. This guy has no business in a criminal courtroom.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA32371
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I have appeared in front of Judge Hammock on many occasions. I completely disagree with the last two comments. He can be short and dismissive at times, but I have no doubt that he reads and understands everything. He may be the smartest judge in the LASC. I don’t understand your point about his wife being a court reporter. I assume she doesn’t work in his courtroom. If so, that would be strange.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA32355
Rating:1.1

Comments:
Affidavit him quick! His wife is a court reporter, so I predict that her friends and court reporting firms will always win in his courtroom, as well big companies and wealthy defendants. If you are not one of those people, affidavit him immediately. You have been warned. He has a notice outside his courtroom now that recording is prohibited in his courtroom. Why? I opine that would be embarrassed if his lack of competence, failure to prepare or know the laws, and racial prejudice were exposes to the public, e.g., in Youtube.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA32213
Rating:4.9

Comments:
s others commented, at oral argument he prefers to do all the talking and doesn't allow counsel to complete their arguments. On a recent tentative ruling I thought it was well researched and written, but opposing counsel confused him enough in oral argument that he waffled then punted by continuing the hearing. Appears to be quick to anger even when counsel are presenting valid arguments. Would have appreciated being able to finish presenting my arguments, but wasn't allowed. Considering 170.6 in the future, but maybe he will improve.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA25390
Rating:9.9

Comments:
Judge Hammock is thoughtful and discerning and probably one of the best read and most even handed judges at Stanley Mosk. You would think because of his background that he is pro plaintiff, but if you read below, you'll find comments from plaintiff's lawyers who were wrong on the law that he is "pro defense" (i.e. sour grapes). He just follows the law. I've had situations where we've disagreed and I've lost on issues I believe I should've won, and he may be a little difficult to argue with once he is strongly decided, but he is, frankly, rarely wrong. If you want a straight follow-the-law judge who doesn't bother himself with the irrelevant emotional and personal crap that lawyers try to peddle in court about their clients or their opposing counsel to generate prejudice/bias, this is the judge for you. I'm a 99.9% plaintiff's lawyer and I approve this review.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA24578
Rating:9.7

Comments:
Judge Hammock is a well mannered, reasonable, fair, and highly intellectual judge. While I don't always agree with his holdings, I appreciate that he reads all moving papers in detail, is well acquainted with the issues in the case, and puts forth a noticeable effort to "get it right."

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19940
Rating:1.3

Comments:
This judge is a mad man. I pity you if you are in his courtroom.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19350
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I was in his court earlier this week on a law and motion matter and watched him in a jury trial for a few hours in an unrelated case. Very interesting insurance bad faith. Very complex. Many good lawyers. Big time litigation with a great deal at stake. Judge Hammock was excellent. The lawyers, jurors and witnesses seemed to respect him. His temperament was superb. I only watched a few hours, but I was impressed with what I saw. He also is very sharp.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19208
Rating:1.0

Comments:
My first impression of this judge was that he tends to micro-manage his calendar. Somewhat like Hess, a judge we were all happy to see retire. He was dismissive towards younger attorneys, at least that was my opinion. I’m hoping we’ll see improvement and a more judicial temperament in the future. I’m reserving judgment on this guy until I see him in trial.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA16931
Rating:8.0

Comments:
At first, he comes off as a little nutty. But after engaging in a 2 week trial with him, I quickly learned that Judge Hammock's mind is extremely sharp. So, if he interrupts and seems to be going off on tangents, it's because he is already ahead of whatever is being discussed. Overall he is a judge who wants to do the right thing and see justice served.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA14611
Rating:8.4

Comments:
I worried about this judge at first. I now think he is one of the better judges at the downtown LASC. The thing I like best about him is he is conscientious. He really cares about getting the decision right, and is smart and fair minded enough to take the steps necessary to make the right call. If you draw him as a Judge, I would keep him. A good man with a good heart and a smart guy.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA13647
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I must confess that I completely disagree with the comments recently posted by CA13575 and CA13576 -- who seems the be the same person. I have had several cases with Judge Hammock and I found him to be one of the better judges at Stanley Mosk. He clearly knows the facts of the case, the applicable laws, and most of all, he is willing to engage in lengthy discussions with you, whether you agree with his decision or not. In fact, my only criticism would be that he engages too much in oral argument, and tends to dominate the conversation. It makes no difference to me whether he was appointed or elected. I just want someone who is fair and willing to listen, which he usually does.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA13576
Rating:1.0

Comments:
It is easy to see why he an elected judge. No politician would ever appoint him to the Bench out of the sheer embarrassment of how he runs his courtroom. He looks for the path of least resistance and takes it, regardless of what the law is. Justice is irrelevant to this man. If you draw him as a Judge, run away as fast as possible.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA13575
Rating:1.2

Comments:
Judge Hammock is the worst kind of Judge. He is intellectually lazy. His primary goal is to do as little work as possible. He would rather knowingly commit reversible error and take his chances with the Court of Appeals that make the proper decision. Definite 170.6. Pro defense.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA12421
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I was in a position to contend on appeal that this judge abused his discretion only to realize that the agonizing he did in deciding the issue was not only not an abuse of discretion, it was probably the most proper application of discretion I had ever witnessed.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11700
Rating:8.0

Comments:
I am always leary of elected judges but Judge Hammock is one of the few judges who posts online tentatives and in my case it was thorough and well reasoned. Wants to get to the bottom line and talks a lot at hearings.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11534
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I am a pro per plaintiff (who might seem mentally unstable) and recently appeared before this court. Judge Hammock was extremely patient with me as a pro per. Despite my occasional rambling, Judge Hammock remained calm and attempted to refocus me. He someone else stated, he clearly cuts to the chase and he clearly knows the law and the case before him.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11383
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I saw an interesting thing last week while sitting in Judge Hammock's court. A pro per plaintiff (who seemed like a vexatious litigant or mentally unstable) was appearing before the court. Judge Hammock was extremely courteous and patient with the pro per. Despite the ramblings of the pro per litigant, Judge Hammock remained very calm and time and time again attempted to refocus the man. In prior appearances Judge Hammock can be impatient and will interrupt counsel during arguments. He clearly wants to cut to the chase. He clearly knows the law and the case before him. I would advise anyone to be prepared and don't repeat what you wrote in your pleadings. He read them and understood them. He is no fool. I was on the fence until last week. I would now not hesitate to appear in front of him. Specially in comparison to the other unimpressive judges at Stanley Mosk

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11111
Rating:5.6

Comments:
Basing my review on the utter disaster Dept. 77 has become since Judge Hammock left. His replacements have done a poor job running the department which makes you realize how you good you had it until its gone.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA10482
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Just heard Judge Hammock is being promoted to an I/C court at Mosk. Too bad for us. He's the only judge in the PI courts who knows what he is doing...

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA10038
Rating:1.0

Comments:
If you have the misfortune of being assigned to this judge, affidavit him immediately. He has no understanding of the law, the standards that apply to pleadings and is extremely hostile.

Civil Litigation - Govt.

Comment #: CA9851
Rating:10.0

Comments:
I have been a defense attorney for over 20 years. I appeared in front of Judge Hammock a few weeks ago on a Summary Judgment motion, which he granted. It was hotly contested. I was very impressed with his command of the facts and law. It was clear to all of us that he knew what he was doing. Even the plaintiff's attorney told me afterward that he thought his client got a fair hearing. I couldn't disagree more with the last comment. Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA9844
Rating:1.4

Comments:
[Redacted by Editor] This guy is an absolute disgrace. He is starved for attention, wastes everyone's time and attention speaking from the bench for literally hours on end, misses the forest for the trees almost every time, is absolutely biased for plaintiffs, is arrogant, abuses his power from the bench because he is dis-empowered in private life, was a failure in private practice, is a clown on the bench and is an absolute disgrace to watch, listen to and to read. He may be the worst judge in the LA Superior Court currently. He was elected to the bench; there is no way anyone would ever appoint this guy to any judicial position anywhere.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA9663
Rating:10.0

Comments:
Judge Hammock is extremely intelligent, understands case issues, even when very complex, will always listen to, and most importantly consider, both sides. Even if he ruled against my client, I would understand why; he explains his decision making.

Litigant

Comment #: CA9230
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Hammock is much better judge than judge Nieto. It is a shame that both oversee the Dept 77 of the Stanley Mosk, and have different views and treat the pro we litigants totally different.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA8702
Rating:9.8

Comments:
I may not always agree with his decisions, but it is clear to me that he reads everything, he does try to listen and understand your position, and he is one of the smartest and fairest judges at Mosk. Frankly, the court seems to be wasting his talents in Limited Jurisdiction.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA7885
Rating:8.6

Comments:
Judge Hammock is on the ball, smart, easy to work with, fair and a good judge.