"The Robing Room: CA State Judges

Hon. Donna D. Geck	See Rating Details
Judge Superior Court
Santa Barbara County	See Comments

Attorney Average Rating: 1.4 - 15 rating(s) Non-Attorney Average Rating: 1.0 - 20 rating(s)	Please send me alerts on this judge E-mail Address:

Add your own rating

E-Mail Address ()

* *

Confirm E-mail Address

* * *

Zip

Occupation

Add a comment only

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

Please type what you see below:

Not an even number!

What others have said about Hon. Donna D. Geck

Comments

Other

Comment #: CA54965
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Very discriminatory and incompetent. She accused me of being antagonizing because she thought that the restraining order case was against me and didn’t realize I was the one being protected. Then she dismissed my requests all together once she realized that wasn’t the case, refusing to enforce the conditions of the order. During my hearing, she accused me of not submitting evidence while gleefully acknowledging that she had read the evidence of the other party already. She shows extreme bias in her behavior from the beginning and it’s embarrassing to watch. When she finally reviewed the evidence, she admitted that the other party’s evidence was not able to admitted in court but still used it to make a decision against me. She claimed that both parties are at fault, but all of the “punishment” came my way. She then proceeded to say that it was a better option for my child to have to live on the streets with his father and I can only see him once a week and every other weekend, because I did not have stable housing. It would have made more sense for my son to stay with me for the 30 days while I was still in the house since his father could not move back in until then. His father admitted he was homeless because of the move out order and she still gave him majority custody. All of the attorneys I spoke to had no idea why she made the decision she did and could not figure out how she thought this was best for the child. I was not accused of any type of child neglect and my only fault was fighting with his father, and depending on him financially for 7 years while I homeschooled my step children and took care of him since he is a disabled veteran. Punishing me and my son by keeping us a part because I did not have financial stability is cruel. Especially because a huge part of me not being able to secure my finances is because they refused to enforce the part of the order that required him to continue supporting the household. It wasn’t until I got legal aid from the UC system and name dropped a bunch of staff that was helping me out that she finally gave me a fair custody order. The people in the legal resource center must be aware of this because when I explained what happened they acted as if they didn’t believe me, when I gave them proof, they just dismissed me and told me they weren’t in the court room so they can’t speak on what happened.

It is scary to think that there are people in this position of power who find joy in tearing children away from their mothers and putting them on the streets with someone who is homeless and disabled. It is also scary to think that she was able to sit in the court room on numerous occasions, supposedly there to make an order, and was not even aware of the details of the case and the submitted documentation. It is EMBARRASSING and disgusting to witness. Even my son’s father was shocked and realized how fucked up the system is, despite things supposedly going in his favor.

Litigant

Comment #: CA52722
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
She's straight out of decades of "SERVICE" to the Insurance Defense IN DUST try.....don't expect any more. I have a million dollar cash judgment from a FORGERY, a fraud exhibit filed once in 14yrs of litigation attempts for a single "day in court" i.e. face of with my financial fiduciaries as being ordered to show my signatures and financial documents to prove me the supposed "LIAR", I strongly, don't have the facts to "prove" without doubt at this point, but I strongly believe the woman has been colluding with other "STATE" "Actors" to keep me destroyed, why? Because I am a long targeted whistleblower accountant for a near $160 MILLION DOLLAR SECURITIES FRAUD! She was supposed to recuse herself when I called her to do such by way of a motion re: LAW; that I cleary stated I was not "alleging" her of wrongdoing at that point, but that LAW, called upon her of her own volition to recuse herself, because it would "appear" to a neutral third party she was in fact "Biased". Furious as all get out, I believe, at me calling law out to her, instead, she decided to "show me" who had "power" and she started ruling against me, despite the FACT I WON THE Public Securities Litigation Reform Act STANDARD for my complaint and she was SUPPOSED to try "matters of fact". Instead in her devised legal rape methodology she has forced into place near 14 years, she allowed my 1st Amendment fraud allegation of the exhibit to be raped out of existence and with a court cop license, allowed the blame for a $160 MILLION securities fraud to be REVERSED out from a "HEDGE FUND" tied to her local county judge partner and his senator wife, ties,a Hedge Fund partially selling retirement products to the SB Superior Court RETIREMENT SYSTEM, to go forward and NEVER BE TRIED FOR MATTERS OF FACT, with all the "blame" instead focused upon me by years of slander and fingerpointing, my prosecution, all "behind the scenes" of our Court System to blame me and deny myself and my co founders the right to be heard in our COURTS OF LAW; I
AM DYING ever so slowly from her fraud on Court upholding forgery judgment on my head, destroying my health and throwing me to the street with the Dogs

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA52701
Rating:1.5

Comments:
Does not read filed papers before ruling, relies entirely on incompetent staff for important rulings that blatantly contradict the plain language of applicable statutes. She makes rulings that ignore the public policy behind laws such as the Tenant Protection Act and regularly hurts vulnerable litigants when they are in the right. Her bias toward big law firms is obvious, and she regularly awards outrageously inflated fees. She's barely paying attention when she's on the bench and constantly looks bored and distracted.

Litigant

Comment #: CA52700
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Obviously didn't read filings and replies. Thoughtless rulings that harm children. Picked a side and closed off to counter arguments. Get her off the bench and let someone with integrity and fairness take over. Families and children's lives are more valuable than stubbornness and bias.

Litigant

Comment #: CA46757
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Her time is hopefully nearing,,,but what does it really mean when supposedly she "announced" her impending "retirement" i.e. she got away with it....was she paid off??,,,her collusion and defiance of law is being exposed, over and over...it is up to the State to hold her accountable...Will they? We'll see....this is still in process with the exhibit links being uploaded now, please submit any evidence you may have as to her bad acts, [Redacted] near $1Million judgment on my head and the rape-theft of myself and 30 other peoples' retirement monies for the Klein Groups local hedge fund, [Redacted]

https://fraudbynumbers.tripod.com/GECK%20CJP/CJP.pdf

Other

Comment #: CA46695
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She recklessly denies appeals from fit mother and grants custody to drug-addled father. Please remove!

Other

Comment #: CA44593
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Her connection with San Marcos High School places her in more conflict, and further illustrates should have been a recusal, further into question. Her refusal to grant a continuance until mid to late January and instead setting it smack in the middle of the holidays forcing a life altering, crucial hearing on the day before her 3 week vacation further justifies the discipline she needs to receive and immediate removal from the bench. She knows attorneys are on holiday during this period of time, as well. An opinion which is clearly not singular. She is a danger to children and families - in addition the the legal system in general. An opinion which is clearly not singular.

Court Staff

Comment #: CA44592
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Should be removed from the bench and disbarred. Invariably rule with with who she has determined has more money. She is truly a danger to the legal process AND TO CHILDREN. It is a puzzle as to why she avoided recall.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA44459
Rating:2.0

Comments:
Absolutely horrible "Judge!" Blatantly biased towards women. Makes decisions without hearing from the other side and couldn't care less what the other side has to say when they ask to be heard. I have appeared in front of bad Judges, but she takes the proverbial cake!

Other

Comment #: CA39861
Rating:1.0

Comments:
RECALL JUDGE GECK!!!!!

Thank god someone started this. Please join in signing the petition!

https://www.independent.com/2022/04/14/petitions-circulating-to-recall-santa-barbara-county-judge/

Litigant

Comment #: CA39688
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This is the 27th rating of one star about this "judge." The four others in the city of Santa Barbara combined have one.

Small claims case against a construction company that only works with municipalities:

1. The construction company planned on defrauding the court by sending a person claiming to be the “project manager,” but I knew this company was sleazy and proved he was not with a document and email from the city of Santa Barbara. When questioned by this “judge” he admitted he was not the project manager. He perjured himself, yet she let him testify even though she knew he had not been at the site during the time the incident occurred, and probably never been there, and had nothing to offer. Since only the “judge” can ask questions of the defendant, she never inquired why he was testifying or why the real project manager was not there.

2. This incident happened in May of 2021 and they did not know about the case until months later.

Their defense was undated photos taken months later when the site was totally different for what was a repaving of a bike path and building a 3’ security wall. Every question she asked he had the same response, probably told to him by a lawyer, and it sounded like a mantra: "This was a construction zone." What else could he say? So they had no evidence as to how the site looked when the incident occurred.

3. He did not deny that the company was responsible for my injuries for what is an OSHA violation. He came with the company controller and they drove the 75 miles together so she knew he was not the project manager, although she never uttered one word.

4. I explained what happened supported by dated photos at the time of the incident conclusively proving my case and refuting their absurd claim about signage along with the medical reports, etc.

I lost.

Litigant

Comment #: CA39670
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She does not read the case, she bases her decisions on her relationship with the attorney of the well-funded, well-connected husbands. On a recorded Zoom court session when my attorney asked for my children to be interviewed without hesitation she said they were too young. My son was 15 and court ordered to go from 100% at Moms house to a 2 week custody arrangement. This is a teenager with a history of emotional regulation challenges and anxiety. Of the 4 times matters went in front of this judge 100% of her decisions aligned with the well-funded well-connected husband including taking Christmas away from them being with their mother. I cried when I saw the attempts to get her recalled as she represents anything but the kids best interest. Joy came to me thinking another family would t be subject to her bias. I feel she needs a psyche eval herself as she is somehow taking her own emotional trauma out on families or narcissistic injury from her childhood by aligning with attorneys who play the strategies to deplete the opponent the verbally abusive false accusations. I believe even if my eyes were black and blue she would have aligned against me… and absolutely cloaked under the illusion of the kids best interest to serve her own agenda. I feel this judge took a family court case and created unnecessary trauma for two adolescents who will reconcile her damage for the rest of their life.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA39306
Rating:1.9

Comments:
Just a horrible judge. Here decisions are not legally sound and seem totally biased based on her relationship with the attorney vs. the facts of the case and what is fair and right. She should be removed immediately. I can't imagine how many families she is wrecking based on her flippant decision without regard for what's best for the children.

Other

Comment #: CA39190
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This Judge is now in the process of recall which is very unusual and for a Judge unheard of but shows the dislike of the community to this Judge. See Independent
https://www.independent.com/2022/02/23/recall-attempt-in-the-works-against-santa-barbara-superior-court/
November is to long to wait maybe we all will get lucky and other forces will address this Judge's damage of the community she is suppose to serve

Litigant

Comment #: CA38416
Rating:1.0

Comments:
[Redacted by Editor]. doesnt follow the law, fails to even read what is filed or even know what the details regarding the case even are. Repeatedly denies motions while refusing to even hear them. How on earth is she given such power!?!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA38273
Rating:1.0

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA29950
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I can't say how awful this judge is in terms of her legal acumen, judgment and temperament. She is terribly biased, and you will know early on whether or not she likes you and will side with you, despite the law, or not. If you can, you should file a 170.6 as early as possible to save your client from this poor judge's irrational rulings and just odd demeanor.

Comment #: CA7325
Rating:2.0

Comments:
This Judge believes she is above the law, and proves so in her Orders. With sufficient evidence and proof with Code cited to make decisions easier for her she still goes off her gut instead of the law. Her own personal opinions are more important than law and code. If you want a Judge who is above the law she's for you!

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA6403
Rating:4.9

Comments:
get rid of her, multiple locals are complaining about her horrific rulings