A Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge has been censured and will step down following an investigation into charges that he violated multiple ethics codes.
The California Commission on Judicial Performance announced Judge Michael Carrozzo reached an agreement to resolve 19 allegations.
Investigators say he improperly helped his judicial secretary in a dispute with an insurance company and with a landlord. The two later got married. They say he communicated during some of the disputes as if he were a practicing attorney.
In a press release, the Commission says Carrozzo will officially step down in September and use some vacation time between now and then. He’s also agreed never to again serve as a judge or court official. Carrozzo has held the post for more than a decade.
