Judge Slams Councilman’s Letter as ‘Inappropriate’

Judge Everett W. Dickey on Monday blasted as “totally inappropriate” Irvine City Councilman Larry Agran’s letter imploring him to overturn the conviction of Arthur Carmona.

Dickey said he received the letter late last week and will refer the matter to the State Bar Assn. of California.

He said the bar association’s ethical guidelines prohibit an attorney from writing to a court, trying to influence a case in which he or she isn’t directly involved.

“He certainly should know better,” Dickey said from the bench. “It’s not appropriate for him . . . to communicate directly with the judge.”

Agran, who is an attorney, said he wrote the letter on city stationery in his capacity as a councilman because Carmona was arrested by Irvine police. He said he was surprised and disappointed by Dickey’s reaction.

“I just don’t want to be the focus of the attention here,” Agran said in a telephone interview. “It’s a little puzzling to me why the judge would be upset. As for the judge’s . . . apparent referral of this matter to the State Bar, I will deal with that in an appropriate way at the appropriate time.”

He also said he was relieved and joyful that Carmona’s conviction has been overturned.