Ousted Judge Furey Hired as Deputy Public Defender

Former Catalina Justice Court Judge Robert H. Furey Jr., ousted last year by the California Supreme Court for repeatedly abusing his contempt powers and other acts of judicial misconduct, has been hired as a deputy Los Angeles County public defender, the head of the office said Thursday.

“He did a good job when he worked for us before,” said Public Defender Wilbur F. Littlefield. Furey, 58, had worked as both a Los Angeles deputy district attorney and public defender before becoming only the sixth judge to be removed from the bench by the court in the last 23 years.

Littlefield said Furey either started work Thursday or would begin today in the public defender’s Norwalk branch office. A worker at that office said Furey actually was at the Downey office. He could not be reached for comment late Thursday.

Dennis A. Fischer of Santa Monica, Furey’s lawyer during the judicial proceedings, also confirmed that Furey was joining the public defender’s staff and said, “What’s the big deal? He’s going to go to work.”

The judges last October unanimously upheld the recommendation for Furey’s removal made by the state Judicial Performance Commission, sustaining eight charges of willful misconduct and 10 charges of conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.

Furey had been “punitive and vindictive” toward defendants and others in his courtroom, improperly sentencing some to jail in contempt proceedings that were quickly overturned by higher courts, the court said in a highly critical, unsigned 35-page opinion that affirmed commission findings.

Furey was suspended from his one-day-a-week judicial post when the commission recommended his removal in June, 1986. He also had held temporary assignments in Los Angeles-area Municipal Courts.

Among those who testified against Furey were some members of the public defender’s office. Both Littlefield and Fischer said they doubted there would be any conflicts within the office between Furey and those who testified against him.

“I hope others in the office will put it behind them,” Fischer said, noting that the Supreme Court decision entitles Furey to continue practicing law.