Judge Lisa Novak of Redwood City, CA; repeat offender

The State of California presented Lisa A. Novak with a law license in 1993 after she graduated from Loyola University School of Law.

The Commission on Judicial Performance found Lisa guilty of the following misconduct.

• Failed to be patient, dignified, and courteous to criminal defense attorney
• Made comments the reasonably could be expected to impair attorney/client relationship
• Failed to disclose improper ex parte (one-sided) communication from her bailiff
• Made improper remarks at a judges’ meeting
• Failed to understand restrictions imposed upon judges per Code of Judicial Ethics

As one would suspect, this wasn’t Lisa’s first bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree. She was previously disciplined for engaging in a variety of misconduct.

As a direct consequence of her misconduct, the enablers for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Judicial Commission punished Lisa by gifting her with a complimentary admonition.

As we speak (ca. March 2019), Lisa continues to sit as a San Mateo County Superior Court judge in Redwood City, California.