Chief Justice brands Assemblyman Calderon’s comments about her appearance “offensive” and “unresponsive”

As we mentioned here, Assembly Majority Leader Charles Calderon (D-Whittier) caused quite a dust-up last month when, in the course of introducing AB 1208, the Trial Court Rights Act, he referred to Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye as “nice” and “attractive.” Earlier this week, the Chief shared her views about Calderon’s comments. In the course of an interview with NBC television in Los Angeles, the Chief said she was “troubled” by the comment because it was made in the context of “a substantive hearing.” She explained: “‘When it comes from a majority leader in the context of a very serious hearing where courts are lining up, where all the attorneys there are on the side of [the Judicial Council] opposing that bill, and a critical question is asked “why are you taking this power away from the new [C]hief [J]ustice four months into her administration?” that is when that answer is unresponsive, offensive and is not at all responsive to the question.’”