Self-Assured Judge Doesn’t Avoid Unpopular Stands

Joyce A. Karlin, the judge who handed down the controversial sentence in the killing of a black teen-ager, was described by former colleagues as a tough, self-assured former prosecutor who is not afraid to take an unpopular stand.

“I can’t think of anybody who is more bulletproof,” said James P. Walsh Jr., who was Karlin’s boss several years ago in the narcotics section of the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles.

Karlin, 40, is new to the bench, appointed to the Superior Court in July after more than a decade in the U.S. attorney’s office, where she earned a reputation as a respected prosecutor.

“She’s never hesitated to act on her convictions and beliefs,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Stefan Stein, who was co-prosecutor with Karlin in the trial of former federal drug agent Darnell Garcia--her last big trial before becoming a judge. Garcia was sentenced last summer to 80 years in prison for drug trafficking and money laundering.

“She is very confident of her gut feelings and goes with her gut feelings,” Stein said, adding that he was not surprised at Karlin’s willingness to craft a sentence that will land her in the hot seat after only a few months on the bench.

Despite Karlin’s reputation for toughness, Stein said, she can also exhibit a softer side. “I know she’s showed a lot of sensitivity when she doesn’t feel a heavy sentence is necessary,” he said.

A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Karlin is married to Assistant U.S. Atty. William F. Fahey and normally sits in the Compton courthouse. She helped develop the case against defendants in the kidnaping, torture and murder of U.S. drug agent Enrique Camarena.