{"slug": "letters-a-federal-judge-did-the-states-job-in-sanctioning-lawyers", "title": "Letters: A federal judge did the state’s job in sanctioning lawyers", "summary": "A federal judge sanctioned Silicon Valley lawyers for misconduct in a biotech case, awarding $3 million after finding \"a culture of lawyering that is deeply disturbing.\" The judge's action highlights the State Bar's failure to discipline attorneys for similar conduct over 21 years, raising questions about California's attorney disciplinary system.", "body_md": "**Getting your**\n\n[Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...**Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.**\n\n#### Federal judge did state’s job in punishing lawyers\n\nRe: “[Biotech company awarded $3 million](https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/05/27/judge-silicon-valley-lawyers-deeply-disturbing-pay-3-million-palo-alto-biotech-company/)” (Page C9, May 28).\n\nJudge Edward Chen is to be commended for confronting “a culture of lawyering that is deeply disturbing.” For over 21 years, similar and worse conduct by attorneys in Santa Clara County Superior Court and the 6th District Court of Appeal destroyed our company and devastated its elderly shareholders.\n\nConcealing evidence, aiding tax evasion and possible subornation of perjury went unchecked across more than 6 trials and more than 8 appeals, with two published reversals at enormous cost to California taxpayers. Fortunately for the attorneys who have drawn Chen’s ire, the State Bar routinely excuses such conduct with language such as “zealous advocacy,” which is directly drawn from denials of more than a dozen Bar complaints we filed over 15 years.\n\nThe lawyers Chen sanctioned should count themselves fortunate, and Californians should ask why it took a federal judge to say what our own disciplinary system has refused to do.\n\n**David Feldman**\n\n*Menlo Park*\n\n#### Trump AI photo perverts “Doonesbury” comic\n\nRe: “[Trump sets up fund for his allies](https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/05/18/justice-department-announces-nearly-1-8b-fund-to-compensate-trump-allies-in-a-deal-to-drop-irs-suit/)” (Page A1, May 19).\n\nThe July 21, 2024, “[Doonesbury](https://www.washingtonpost.com/doonesbury/strip/archive/2024/7/21)” shows Trump and 19 individuals in his orbit who have been either indicted or convicted of a crime. And consider this — they will most likely benefit the most from Trump’s ridiculous $1.776 billion “weaponization” fund.\n\nMillionaires compensated for their bad behavior. Real news.\n\n**Scott Simmons**\n\n*Portola Valley*\n\n#### Animal shelter must rebuild community trust\n\nThe Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury’s [report](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/civil/san-jose-animal-care-center-need-strengthen-transparency-performance-and-trust.pdf) on the San José Animal Care Center deserves serious attention from city leaders and the public. The findings highlight long-standing concerns about transparency, accountability, staffing, operational consistency and public trust at a facility responsible for caring for vulnerable animals and serving our community.\n\nTrust cannot exist without clear communication, accurate reporting and meaningful oversight. The report offers constructive recommendations that could improve both animal welfare outcomes and public confidence if implemented honestly and promptly.\n\nSan José residents, volunteers, rescuers, adopters, advocates and taxpayers all deserve a shelter system that operates with professionalism, transparency and compassion. I urge city officials to treat this report as an opportunity for meaningful reform rather than respond with defensiveness or delay. Real accountability is the first step toward rebuilding trust.\n\n**Rebekah Davis-Matthews**\n\n*San Jose*\n\n#### Achievement gap is everyone’s problem\n\nAs a high school student in Sunnyvale who has attended ten schools across three countries, I’ve seen firsthand how unequal education can be. Where you’re born shouldn’t determine what you learn or how well you learn it.\n\nThat’s why I’ve spent the past few years teaching English, math, and Python to thousands of students for free across more than 10 countries — and why I built a free AI study platform used by more than 650 students in 23 countries. For every new user, we donate $1 toward AI education in Tanzania.\n\nI’m just a high school student with a laptop, but I’ve seen what’s possible when you decide the gap is your problem to fix.\n\n**Dayeon Lim**\n\n*Sunnyvale*\n\n#### State must fund aid to Holocaust survivors\n\nEvery week, Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley cares for Holocaust survivors who endured starvation, concentration camps, forced labor and the murder of their families. Many are now in their late 80s and 90s. Most live below the federal poverty level and struggle to afford food, medication, transportation, and basic care.\n\nThese survivors endured humanity at its worst. They should not spend their final years worrying about whether they can pay rent or keep the lights on.\n\nToday, the [California Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program](https://www.jfcs.org/find-help/seniors/holocaust-survivor-services/) is in jeopardy. This funding provides care management, emergency financial assistance, food support and help paying for rent, utilities, medication and other essentials.\n\nI urge Gov. Gavin Newsom and our state legislators to continue funding the California Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program. California must not turn its back on this extraordinary generation.\n\n**Susan Frazer**\n\n*Los Gatos*\n\n#### Diplomacy wasted on power-hungry Iran\n\nCries for diplomacy with Iran seem like an echo of the appeasement pleas in the 1930’s. Iran is not interested in peace.\n\nThe misguided [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action](https://2009-2017.state.gov/e/eb/tfs/spi/iran/jcpoa/) of Barack Obama’s presidency did nothing to curb Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons and, by lifting some sanctions, helped fund Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran is playing Donald Trump. He wants a deal and will sell out his allies in order to get one.\n\nIran understands power, and they perceive negotiations as a sign of weakness. All of our living presidents have said that they would not allow Iran to have nuclear weapons. That is still the goal, and any waiver on that principle will mean a failure of this war and this administration.\n\n**Gil Stein**\n\n*Aptos*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-a-federal-judge-did-the-states-job-in-sanctioning-lawyers", "canonical_source": "https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/02/letters-federal-judge-states-job-sanctioning-lawyers/", "published_at": "2026-06-02 23:00:38+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-02 23:25:29.584855+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-ethics"], "entities": ["Edward Chen", "Santa Clara County Superior Court", "6th District Court of Appeal", "State Bar", "David Feldman", "Menlo Park"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-a-federal-judge-did-the-states-job-in-sanctioning-lawyers", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-a-federal-judge-did-the-states-job-in-sanctioning-lawyers.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-a-federal-judge-did-the-states-job-in-sanctioning-lawyers.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-a-federal-judge-did-the-states-job-in-sanctioning-lawyers.jsonld"}}