California Lawyer Fights Discipline for Disparaging Judge

A California attorney is fighting potential state bar discipline against him for making insulting comments about a female judge, arguing to a federal court he’s shielded by the First Amendment.

Benjamin Pavone of Pavone & Fonner LLP represented the plaintiff in an employment law suit. The jury awarded his client $8,080 in damages for sexual harassment, but the court dismissed his fraud claim and rejected his claims seeking an injunction for unfair advertising and unfair business practices. It also denied Pavone’s request for $146,634 in attorneys’ fees.

In Pavone’s notice of appeal, he said the ruling was “disgraceful,” “succubustic,” validated ...