Karlin Moved From Criminal Bench to Juvenile Cases : Courts: Transfer is part of a reorganization. Jurist’s critics say they still will try to recall or defeat her.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Joyce A. Karlin, who has been at the center of a storm of protest since her controversial decision to give a Korean-born grocer probation in the killing of a black girl, has been transferred from the Compton courthouse to a new assignment with the Juvenile Court.

The reassignment was announced Friday afternoon by Superior Court Presiding Judge Ricardo A. Torres, who just two months ago refused to move Karlin off the criminal bench. It comes as part of a judicial reshuffling prompted by Gov. Pete Wilson’s appointment this week of 11 new Superior Court judges.

Torres, who has been threatened with a recall campaign over his earlier decision not to move Karlin, would not talk to reporters about why he changed his mind. Karlin said through a spokeswoman that she is happy about the new assignment.

Her transfer does not come as a surprise. On Wednesday, at a luncheon put on by the Los Angeles County Bar Assn., the presiding judge hinted that Karlin would be moved as part of the courthouse reorganization.

“Just watch what happens,” Torres said then, adding that he intended to take Karlin’s wishes into account.

Torres’ decision was hailed as a victory by Karlin’s critics. However, black community activists--including members of the Latasha Harlins Justice Committee, named for the 15-year-old girl who was killed by grocer Soon Ja Du--said they do not intend to drop their campaign to force Karlin off the bench by recalling her or defeating her during the June election.

“I think that this reflects that the community is not powerless,” said Danny Bakewell, leader of the Brotherhood Crusade and an outspoken critic of Karlin. “People who want something can get it. We wanted her moved. She’s been moved. But this does not in any way eliminate our objective of removing Karlin from the bench come June.”

Compton Councilwoman Patricia Moore, a leader of the effort, said: “I’m more determined now than ever. My community cannot afford to have this woman rendering decisions that can affect our personal lives, our children. We can’t have her there.”

Moore added that she does not intend to back off from the effort to recall the presiding judge. “I’m very disappointed in Torres,” she said, adding that it was “a bad decision” to put Karlin in Juvenile Court.

How Torres’ decision will play in the legal community is unclear. The presiding judge has been praised by lawyers and other judges--including those attending Wednesday’s luncheon--for standing firm in the face of pressure to transfer Karlin. Yet Torres said Wednesday that he is not worried about giving the appearance of buckling under pressure.

“My plans are based on what I think is best for the court,” Torres said. “If people want to say that I was intimidated, so be it. It doesn’t bother me.”

Karlin’s transfer takes effect Monday, although she may have to remain in Compton to finish some work on her current caseload. In her new job, Karlin will work in downtown Los Angeles as a Juvenile Dependency judge, hearing cases involving abused and neglected children who are wards of the court.

In a two-paragraph statement issued through a spokeswoman, Karlin, who has been on the Superior Court bench for five months, said she welcomed the change.

As a federal prosecutor, Karlin specialized in handling child pornography cases. During that time, she became an expert on child abuse, and served as the chairwoman of a federal task force on the exploitation of children. In her statement, Karlin noted that serving on the Juvenile Court was her first preference.

“I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to help improve the lives of our community’s youth,” the statement read. “I applied for appointment to the bench in order to work for and improve the juvenile justice system, which is the most overworked and understaffed system in the country.”

Karlin is likely to receive much less exposure in her new position. Proceedings in the county’s Juvenile Courts are confidential. That is in stark contrast to the extraordinary attention that Karlin has received in the wake of the Du trial.

The Du case, which exacerbated tensions between blacks and Korean-Americans doing business in the inner city of Los Angeles, turned on a videotape that showed the grocer and the Harlins girl struggling over a bottle of orange juice. The tape shows Du shooting Latasha in the back of the head after the girl put the juice on the counter and turned to walk away.

On Nov. 15, Karlin sentenced Du to a 10-year suspended prison sentence, five years’ probation, 400 hours of community service and and a $500 fine. The sentence sparked outrage in the black community, and activists have picketed the Compton courthouse every week since.

Protesters have also threatened to picket Karlin’s house in Manhattan Beach, but were initially prevented from doing so when a Superior Court judge issued a restraining order sought by Karlin. The order, put in place after a lone protester picketed the Karlin home on New Year’s Day, was lifted last week by another Superior Court judge.

Du’s sentence is being appealed by Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner, who also ordered his prosecutors to remove Karlin from any case involving a violent crime. However, a spokeswoman for Reiner said Friday that the district attorney had no comment on Karlin’s transfer.