A Santa Barbara County judge will step down and face punishment after being accused of misconduct.
The California Commission on Judicial Performance has issued a severe public censure and a permanent ban on Judge Michael J. Carrozzo. He admitted to 10 acts of willful misconduct and nine acts of prejudicial misconduct spanning more than two years.
According to the commission, Carrozzo misrepresented himself as an attorney in official correspondence– repeatedly posing as legal counsel representing his then-assistant, Sara Eklund, who he later married. The two are now divorced.
State judicial ethics rules prohibit sitting judges from practicing law in California.
Under a signed agreement, Carrozzo will take approved leave beginning in June and resign on Sep. 9. He has also agreed never to serve as a judicial officer in California again.
