"The Robing Room: CA State Judges

Hon. Barbara Ann Meiers	See Rating Details
Judge Superior Court
Los Angeles County	See Comments

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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. Barbara Ann Meiers

Comments

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA53989
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Meiers is NOT a judge but a bitter woman who is all over the place. She clearly does not like the work, does not read papers, ignores the law, berates attorneys, extremely rude and short tempered and is completely unsuited for the position. She ought to do the ethical thing and resign. why nobody complains against her in a formal manner?

Other

Comment #: CA53480
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
If you’ve already appeared before Judge Meiers and she was nice to you, great, stick with her because you could literally punch opposing counsel right in open court, and she would nod at you and say “nicely done.” To everyone else, if you’re assigned her then IMMEDIATELY file a peremptory challenge (form LACIV 015) to escape the insanely unfair way she runs her court. If she doesn’t like you or your client, your case is DEAD ON ARRIVAL. And I’ve been before judges who are unsympathetic before, but she is a whole other level. If the facts are in your favor, she misstates the facts and rules on her incorrect summary of the case. If the law is in your favor, she’ll pretend to go back in time to decades before binding precedent was set and completely ignore a published opinion of controlling authority. I also agree with other commenters here that Judge Meiers sometimes (not always) appears confused and completely unprepared for court, much less your case. RUN RUN RUN. If you’re reading this and you’re already stuck with her (i.e. too late for a peremptory challenge) then hiring a court reporter to get all her batshit craziness on the record is your best option. Also, assume you’re going to lose and start preparing appeals and writs in advance.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA51440
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
She’s always nice to me for some reason, but I can see what others are talking about. LOL. She definitely gets cranky.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA50225
Rating:1.3

Comments:
In my opinion, completely incompetent and one of the worst judges I have dealt with in 15 years of practice. Paper this judge immediately. Unfortunately I believe she is mentally incompetent. Not sure how she is still on the bench.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA48972
Rating:1.1

Comments:
Meiers is a senile lunatic mean biased abusive vegetable. She belongs in an asylum. She has no concept of courtesy or justice. She is a psycho bipolar B. She is a Karen on steroids. She puts the clown into ????

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA46821
Rating:1.3

Comments:
I'm not sure why Judge Meiers is a judge. She clearly does not like the work, does not read papers, ignores the law, berates attorneys, and is completely unsuited for the position. She ought to do the ethical thing and resign.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA40771
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Meiers is the worse judge I have ever dealt with. She clearly doesn't know the law, doesn't know what hearings are even on her calendar. She doesn't rule in accordance with law or logic. How is she still on the bench??

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA40656
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge is a lunatic that should be reported to the chief judge!!! Affidavit this judge or have a reporter at every hearing for the appeal. AVOID THIS COURTROOM?

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA40239
Rating:1.5

Comments:
Unfit, lost objectivity. Get every hearing reported then be amazed at how many different people are in there. or maybe it is the clerks. No idea. Had her reversed twice on writs.

Litigant

Comment #: CA39357
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Rude and does not conform to normal court proceedure. Gave defendant more than just one bite of the apple. Gave defendant the whole apple and a glass of wine to wash it down with. We were supposed to have a jury trial but we did not get a jury trial and there was no motion or waiver of the jury. Defendant did not comply with discovery yet was allowed to present discovery. This Judge is terrible. I believe she may have some mental issues. It is too bad that judges are allowed to be on the bench without any medical evaluation.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA37274
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Terrible judge. I had a client who was trying to set aside a default where he had not been served with complaint and opposing counsel filed a declaration to that effect. The judge asked if my client had a defense to the underlying installment contract and disregarding the fact that procedurally, due process was being denied as he clearly had not been served. She "continued" the motion and opposing counsel and myself reached a settlement. She is just plain incompetent!!

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA36490
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Potentially other than Judge Kwan, Judge Meiers is the worst judge in Stanley Mosk. Honestly never had someone ignore basic civil procedure. She is rude and yells at attorneys for no reason. Doesn't read any papers, even though she asks for courtesy copies. You know you are in trouble when private mediators (retired judges) tell you that she is a terrible judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA35623
Rating:1.0

Comments:
One of the most incompetent judges in Stanley Mosk, she doesn't know basic civil procedure, doesn't know how to read simple statutes. Bizarre she asks for courtesy copies but doesn't read anything.

Other

Comment #: CA33625
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Don't know what happened to this judge. She used to be level headed and project intelligence. Now after so many years on the bench she has declined. Don't know if it's her or her clerks. I am thinking that she has some new clerks who are bad news and writing opinions that are a disaster for litigants. I suggest an immed. 170.6 if you get assigned to Judge Meiers.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA31234
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Totally rude, obnoxious, talks over you in oral argument and tries her best to make sure that you can't fully air out legal arguments on behalf of your client. She was entirely wrong on the law and the matter was simple. She was so arrogant that she never wanted to hear argument against her assumptions. She behaves as if her position on the bench entitles her to be as rude, loud, and unmannered as possible. You have to risk possibly being found in contempt of court to make sure to document your position on the record. If you are on the wrong side of her rulings, you will come away with the questions "who hurt you?" and "why are you on the bench since you seem to hate doing your job?" in addition to being highly frustrated and irritated that your client now has to spend more money to get the result he/she/it deserves. If you ever get assigned Judge Meiers, file that 170.6 motion immediately (peremptory challenge). That will easily be one of the best things you can do for your client. If you get stuck with her, make sure you always bring a court reporter to your hearings. You will need the record for appeal! There should be a rating for zero. That is what I would give her -- zero!

Other

Comment #: CA30986
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
#30985

Gag me with the sycophantic, greasy ,fawning, in apparent thirst for points.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA30985
Rating:9.4

Comments:
She read all the papers and was very prepared for hearing on several motions. Judge Meiers provided an oral tentative and was very direct in her questioning. Please always answer the questions Judge Meiers asks before making any argument on any other issue. She does her own research it appears and understands the complexity of issues. I do like Judge Meiers because she took the time to listen to all arguments of counsel, was very prepared and knew the legal issues better than my opposing counsel. I was impressed with her level of understanding and professionalism.

Other

Comment #: CA29112
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Meiers is my aunt when I told her I did not care if my son wanted to be a mailman. She told my I might as well raise a criminal. She has a disdain for the poor, stole my inheritance and my sons money for school. Won't give a dime to charity. Only she is worthy.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA25446
Rating:1.0

Comments:
It is malpractice to not paper Judge Meiers. She is the ultimate proof of the fallacy of the value of judicial immunity. Total and utter disdain for the system she represents, truly sobering.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA25401
Rating:2.3

Comments:
The worst judge I have ever experienced in my 20-year career as a lawyer. What a disgrace to the profession.... Somebody should really run against her, for the profession please.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA24558
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She issues rulings that defy common sense and comprehension. Doesn't care about due process. Makes nonsensical rulings and shoots from the hip.
Disgrace to the profession and practice of law. Should be removed from the bench.

Other

Comment #: CA23631
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Commits fraud. Can easily be bought by the opposing party. If you’re a rich employer, this is the judge for you. If you’re an employee, you might as well not even bother because u will lose.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19719
Rating:1.4

Comments:
The worst judge I have ever experienced as a litigator with 20 years of experience. She is a complete disgrace to the profession. I hope somebody will run against her and get rid of her from our legal system.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA19466
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge meiers did not give me a chance as the plaintiff of a case to provide evidence and interview the people that have material facts about my case. She required an additional hard copy of all docs provided to her for pretrial. My attorney did not know of this request. She did not grant time for us to procide an additonal copy. She did not provide time fo us to interview people crucial to my case. I believe judge meiers vilated ca law and statutes by imposing her own timelines on evudence and ignoring specific facts of my case. She basically made a ruling on my case without seeing or hearing my evidence.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA19233
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Regardless of whether you think she is "pro-defendant" or "pro-plaintiff", one thing is for certain: she is rude, short-tempered, abusive and very condescending. She loves yelling at attorneys for no particular reason. If proper judicial temperament and professionalism are requisites for appointment to the bench, then it's beyond me how she was ever allowed to become a judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA18955
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Rude and obnoxious to everyone! She picks a side and makes up the law and facts to obtain her desired result. The worse judge in downtown. Automatic 170.6 everytime.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA14165
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Likely the worst judge at LASC. She is inappropriate and makes erratic decisions and will make direct statements of bias in open court. In employment cases she will favor the employer. There’s no employer that she doesn’t like. The supervising judge and CJP really should take a look at this judge, her rulings and conduct in open court. It’s because of judges like this that people lose faith in the justice system.

Other

Comment #: CA12729
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I am not sure how this Judge can continue to judge people. I worked for her as a contractor. There were other workers on the job which were hired directly by Judge Meiers, None of them had the required license to do the job, they removed asbestos without a license and did not dispose of it properly. She was informed about it and did nothing. We contacted the EPA but when they came to inspect she would hide inside the jobsite and not open the door. She doesn't pay her bills and endangered my workers. Get her of the bench.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA12607
Rating:1.0

Comments:
In an employment case it was clear the she had not even read the opposition papers but was so clearly pro defense. She also had a poor understanding of employment law.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA12159
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Totally biased in favor of corporate defendant. Prejudicial comments from the bench made resolution impossible. Couldn't make the simplest decision, took everything under submission and then sat on the rulings.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA11628
Rating:1.0

Comments:
One of those rare cases where both prosecution and defense should 170.6 her. My witness was set to arrive at 1:30 pm., judge said " we are working through lunch, so either put your defendant on stand or rest." During closing she said "clear and convincing evidence is higher burden of proof than beyond reasonable doubt ." Later ruled that I couldn't argue the law when I disputed her her standard of proof description. How do these people stay on the bench? I've appeared on front of many petty tyrants over last 22 years but never any w combination of arrogance , hostility, and stupidity,

Other

Comment #: CA11416
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She said, and I quote "I do not care about your due process"... I think that explains her as a judge.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA11178
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Does not understand procedure, does not understand the law, interferes with and undermines parties' agreements on various issues (procedures to be used, settlements, evidence, etc.).

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA10284
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Barbara Meiers is an idiot. Oh, and lazy and petulant and stupid and misguided and wrong on every substantive legal point ever to reach her desk. I suspect every case she now has wound up in her courtroom only after the original judge was 170.6 challenged. Meiers sustained a demurrer to a complaint where I specifically identified the disability (diabetes), identified the bad actors, identified the requested reasonable accommodation, noted that accommodation was denied, and noted that no interactive ever took place. Her own research attorney noted in the tentative that the only portion susceptible to the demurrer was the harassment claim, but Judge Idiot thinks she is too smart for her research attorney and the clear mandate of the state legislature and sustained the demurrer entirely on the grounds of "uncertainty" and "ambiguity," i.e., the worst grounds ever postulated for a demurrer. Even defendant knows that this idiot judge is set to be reversed - again. See her name, fill out the 170.6. End of story.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA9880
Rating:1.5

Comments:
I echo the prior negative reviews. This lady jurist is a lun and a train wreck. Did not read the papers; waffled constantly and inconsistently; made flip conclusions; tries to come to a result aloud in total inductive fashion; egocentric and rude; and does not want to do this job. One would think the reviews would make their way higher up and force her retirement. One can only hope.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA8430
Rating:1.0

Comments:
I have practiced for many years and have a good reputation with the judges in Stanley Mosk. This judge is either insane or stupid or maybe both. Stay clear of her courtroom, her decisions are spontaneous, emotional and generally wrong.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA7686
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This is an activist judge who completely disregards statutes and controlling law to undermine laws she doesn't like. In my case even though the defendant had already answered the complaint she sua sponte challenged the complaint and insisted evidentiary facts or facts to establish probable cause was required at the pleading stage.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA7515
Rating:1.5

Comments:
I have been trying cases in this County and District for 46 years. I enjoy excellent relationships with all the judges. Judge Meiers if far and away the worst judge I have ever encountered. She is emotionally volitile, colossally rude and abrupt, insulting to good and scholarly counsel, and intellectually lazy. She obviously either does not read briefing or fails to demonstrate that she understood what she had just read. She does not care about the law, probably because she does not understand it. She decides matters without benefit of any analysis, and in all events her decisions don't see to make any logical sense. She is just biding her time until she retires in six years. I have never dropped a 170.6 affidavit on any judge, but I would start here. I also share these comments after having achieved a fairly good result for my client. I repeat: She is the worst judge I have ever seen, and if your clients get a fair trial, it will be completely by accident.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6980
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Absolutely the worst judicial demeanor I have ever encountered in 20 plus years of practice.

"Rudeness" is insufficient to describe it. She crosses the line into personally insulting (absolute defamation)the attorney.

When I took exception to her personal attacks for the record with an intention to send the transcript to the Judicial Council, she disconnected me from the Court call.

All Civil litigants should avoid assignment to her court room in my opinion.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6890
Rating:1.1

Comments:
The worst judge since Manny Real haunted the federal court. Surprising she has not been recalled or censured for her lack of legal ability, or that she ever passed the California bar. Must have been during one of those years the State Bar needed additional revenue and were admitting the dimwitted among us.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6380
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She deserve zero.She was brought to ,y case against CVS in last minute just to dismiss my case.She threatened my lawyer to call police to escort him out of court room and asked my layer nit tal at all.She is another fraudster judge and sad for justice

Other

Comment #: CA6215
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Barbara Meiers is also a blatant kleptomaniac, who is currently in the process of trying to steal over a million dollars from me. To call her self dealing is a compliment. A narcissist whose greed has no end.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6102
Rating:1.0

Comments:
The most biased and truly incompetent judge I have ever appeared before in my practice. Judging from others' similar experiences, how she has not been investigated and removed from the bench by the commission is astonishing.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA6051
Rating:1.1

Comments:
Might as well just flip a coin to decide case rather then have her hear your matter

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5858
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Without reading any papers, Judge Barbara Ann Meiers made a decision in my favor even though I was wrong on the law. Knowing that it would cost my client much to oppose an inevitably winning appeal, I conceded the argument in open court. Judge Meiers winked at me and then made her ruling final. Thanks Judge, I think?

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5779
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Should change her first name to "170.6," to be properly identified as "170.6 Meiers." Words that describe this judge would include: unintelligent, lazy, opinionated, snide, rude, nasty, and dumb. Will grant demurrer or summary judgment in clear violation of law, if doing so will help her clear her calendar. Never keep her on a case, ever, for any reason. Magic 8 Ball would be a better judge, since by pure happenstance, it might get a decision right on occasion - something Meiers cannot seem to manage.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5654
Rating:1.1

Comments:
Worst trial judge in my 20+ years of civil experience. This judge makes no effort to conceal which side she favors at trial. File your 170.6 asap and run for your life.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5612
Rating:10.0

Comments:
She slices through every Gordian knot like no one's business. Won't tolerate obstructionist tactics or bad-faith delays. No wonder all these guys hate her so much! She's an honest litigant's daydream.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5587
Rating:1.3

Comments:
obtuse; refuses to follow procedure, precedents, and law; lacks discrimination; gives "this is just to much to believe types of statements"; interrupts people talking; when there's a lawyer and pro se, she will not and refuses to make any decision that rests on law and procedure, esp. if the pro se is kicking the hell out of the corporate's position...; can't make a "right" decision; a gigantic ego, that's sure to make the wrong decision;

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5384
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
The absolute worst judge imaginable. Really. The worst. She needs to step down.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA5320
Rating:1.5

Comments:
I agree with all the other negative reviews. She's unintelligent, lacks knowledge of basic law (she didn't know what Form Rog 17.1 is), and it is blatantly obvious that she did not actually read any of the briefings. She doesn't give any reasoning behind her rulings except to say that "somebody has to lose." 170.6 at all costs.

Other

Comment #: CA4773
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This judge is a joke. If ever there was such a thing as a "kangaroo court," hers is number one.

Litigant

Comment #: CA4772
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
This judge has a terrible demeanor. She often chooses sides without knowing all the facts. She claims to be aware of case details when she clearly isn't. She is inconsistent in her rulings, and makes up her own law. She does not follow the rules of civil procedure at times.

Litigant

Comment #: CA4770
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Judge Meiers does not care about justice -- she picks sides, and that is all there is to it. She does whatever she wants, and how she has not been removed from office leaves us to wonder if the Judicial Performance Commission is actually effective at all, because they are suppose to police judges, and Judge Barbara Meiers is obviously not being watched.

Litigant

Comment #: CA4675
Rating:1.0

Comments:
This judge ruined my life. She permitted a plaintiff to attach my assets to the tune of $2.9 million, and allowed them to post a minimum $10,000 bond! I filed a motion to increase the bond amount that she clearly did not read and dismissed out of hand, and was then forced to pony up hundreds of thousands of dollars on attorneys to represent me in various matters, including filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for my business, which was converted to Chapter 7 after I lost all my clients. My wife and I lost our entire investment in the business of over $2 million, and two of the four longtime employees I had to let go lost their houses because they couldn't get new jobs. The plaintiff lost on all counts against me, and now I get to collect $10,000 for "wrongful attachment." This judge should not be on the bench.

Other

Comment #: CA4539
Rating:1.0

Comments:
She is a horrible judge, and plainly corrupt, since she sides with corporations illegally without showing any legal grounds for doing so. It is sad to have judges like this in the courthouse. She is a disgrace to the justice system.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3923
Rating:6.1

Comments:
She was pretty good when handling writs, but now she's back to her own calendar and not so good. She has a way of ignoring substance and procedure, and substituting her own rules and preferences, which at least she'll sometimes admit are "unorthodox." The only upside is that she'll sometimes completely change her mind for no apparent reason - after losing battle after battle you suddenly find yourself winning the war.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3574
Rating:2.8

Comments:
Not the sharpest tool in the courthouse. Often wrong on the law. She has an impressionistic view of cases and is rather unpleasant. Enter her courtroom at your own risk. I would much rather have a case in Judge Sohigian's courtroom.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3572
Rating:1.0

Comments:
Not a competent judge--and angry and defensive about it. Rude and abrasive in trial. Bats less than .200 on objections and makes any trial into an ordeal. Shoots from the hip--and misses.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3331
Rating:1.6

Comments:
Worst judge ever. Although all elements were properly plead in the Complaint she did not give reasons as to why she sustained a demurrer without leave to amend and had the nerve to state that counsel did not have a right to ask her a question - including, "your honor on what basis are you sustaining these demurrers, did the complaint not satisfy the elements?"
She should sue her law school for breach of contract; she has no concept of the law. She is the most unintelligent judge and overall human being, who actually believes she is brilliant - the worst kind of idiot.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3268
Rating:3.3

Comments:
Strongly believes in her self importance. Rules based upon her personal opinions and beliefs, disregarding the law, precedent and the case facts. Agree with a published comment concerning Judge Meiers a few years ago -- "She should sue her law school for breach of contract."

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA3112
Rating:2.6

Comments:
You can tell that she tries, but she just lacks the intellectual ability to be a good judge. She is unpredictable and consistently ignores the law in favor of what she "knows." Her court staff is also in disarray, and she relies on them heavily.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA2400
Rating:1.4

Comments:
Judge Meiers is without a doubt the worst judge I have been in front in 21 years. She is extremely rude and abusive, makes no sense whatsoever, contradicts herself repeatedly, is extremely unfair, and is biased against plaintiffs. She should definitely not be on the bench. It is hard to imagine a judge performing worse on any level.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA2320
Rating:9.0

Comments:
She is hearing writs now. She is intelligent and very perceptive. If you put something in your brief you can rest assured that she will have read it and thought about it before making her ruling. She can be a little irritable now and then, but she is respectful of counsel and doesn't hold a grudge if you disagree with her rulings in open court. Definitely one of the better judges in Los Angeles. I have no problem with appearing in her courtroom.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA1299
Rating:7.2

Comments:
Judge Meiers is handling the caseload formerly covered by two courts, and based on my appearances before her she has a good handle on the docket. She will regularly raise issues at hearing that neither party raised, and while sometimes the issue will appear to be immaterial, it demonstrates that she does give real thought to the matters filed in her courtroom.