O.C. Judge Is Sued by 3 Former Tenants

Three former tenants on Tuesday sued an Orange County judge who was their landlord, alleging that he refused to make repairs to the property and used his judicial clout to intimidate them.

In their legal complaint, Leticia Banuelos and a couple, Michael and Susan DeGrazio, accuse Superior Court Judge John M. Watson of renting them dilapidated units in his La Habra condominium building and then ignoring their repeated pleas for repairs.

In April 2001, according to the lawsuit, Banuelos moved into her two-bedroom, $1,300-a-month condo to find many problems, including broken plumbing, rotting floors, faulty electrical wiring and a defective gas stove.

Over the next 2 1/2 years, the lawsuit alleges, she complained in writing and on the phone to Watson, seeking repairs in accordance with her lease.

The DeGrazios found similar conditions when they rented a place in 1998, according to the lawsuit.

The suit also accuses Watson, 60, of running his real estate business from his courtroom and alleges that he “illegally wielded the authority of his office to threaten, pressure and intimidate” Banuelos when she demanded repairs.

An attorney for the former tenants declined to be interviewed, and Watson’s lawyer did not return calls seeking comment.

According to the suit and a past complaint Banuelos filed with a state judicial commission, Watson wrote letters to his tenants on court stationery, instructed tenants to communicate with his court clerk and sent the clerk to check up on the property.

“His whole judge-intimidation thing works,” said Banuelos in August when she filed the commission complaint. “People normally fear their landlords, but when your landlord is a judge, it’s that much worse.”

The state commission, which can discipline judges for violating the American Bar Assn.’s rules of judicial conduct, is reviewing Banuelos’ claims.

The lawsuit alleges a confrontation in which Watson rose from his courtroom bench and shouted at Banuelos, “I am sick of you, sick of your letters and sick of you being rude to [the clerk] ... I’m evicting you ... I don’t care about your problem. I want you out. Get out or I’ll have you arrested.” It is unclear from the lawsuit why Banuelos was in the courtroom.

This is not Watson’s first brush with controversy. In 2000 he drew fire from attorneys upset about a standing requirement in his courtroom that they disclose whether their clients or any witnesses have AIDS. Watson later said he would no longer impose the requirement.

Two years later, Watson’s personal and judicial roles intersected when he declared unconstitutional a county policy that allowed the assessed value of homes to increase more than 2% annually under certain circumstances.

He also lodged an appeal with the Orange County assessor over the tax assessment on one of his own properties, claiming the county’s policy was discriminatory.

An assessor’s board denied his appeal and a state appeals court later overturned his decision.

Banuelos and the DeGrazios are asking the court to order Watson to reimburse them for the rent they paid him, as well as to award additional punitive damages.