Complaint Review: Judge John H Sugiyama

Judge Sugiyama terminated my parental rights. Despite numerous requests for my case to be transferred to Dependency Court he allowed court appointed minors counsel to traffic my then 3 month old daughter, holding her hostage as a ward of the court for 6 years. I was left financially bankrupt, more devastating, without my child. There was no evidence of abuse or neglect. I am not mentally ill. He terminating my parental rights saying that I abandoned my daughter over a 3 month gap in visitation when the temporary guardians (who later petitioned to terminate my parental rights) were supervising my visits during the first year of the case. The following year - I was able to maintain consistent visits with my child after seeking professionally supervised visitation. Despite the documented bond I had with my daughter through written professional reports my visitation was suspended indefinitely. I was sanctioned for several thousand dollars for requesting that it be reinstated repeatedly. After six years fighting for my daughter in his courtroom he ruled it was in my daughters best interests to be adopted by her 70 year old widowed paternal step grandmother. He added insult to injury by allowing court appointed minors counsel (who worked directly with step grandma) Carolyn Cain to petition the court for an additional $113,000 from myself and the father. Apparently, she wasn’t able to bill the county for as much as she thought her services were worth. She also suggested that my daughters trust pay the amount. Judge Sugiyama is nothing short of a sociopathic, pro per abusing servant of his own twisted idea of the law. He is a stain on the community he is paid to serve.