Case of 2nd Bankruptcy Figure Assigned to Judge Czuleger
The same Los Angeles judge who has been appointed to handle the sentencing of former Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron was assigned Monday to oversee the criminal case of the county’s former budget director.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge J. Stephen Czuleger will handle former Budget Director Ronald Rubino’s arraignment scheduled for Feb. 16, court officials said.
Rubino, 44, faces two felony counts of aiding and abetting Citron in skimming into a county account more than $80 million of interest earnings belonging to schools, special districts and cities that had entrusted their money to the county. Rubino has denied any wrongdoing.
Citron, who pleaded guilty last year to six felonies stemming from his management of the investment pool he ran for the county, had his Feb. 23 sentencing postponed last week by Czuleger.
The judge delayed the sentencing to give Citron more time to assist prosecutors in their continuing investigation of the county’s Dec. 6, 1994 bankruptcy.
Czuleger was asked to preside over the two bankruptcy-related cases after Orange County’s presiding judge ruled that potential conflicts of interest demand that the county’s entire judicial bench be disqualified.
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