Judicial Hottie of the Day: George Schiavelli

Judge George Schiavelli (C.D. Cal.), regarded in some quarters as a judicial hottie, is probably not feeling so hot right now. From the Los Angeles Times:

A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury has ruled against a federal judge who was seeking $21 million after alleging that he was severely injured when he fell from a malfunctioning escalator at an Encino shopping center.

U.S. District Judge George P. Schiavelli, 59, said he was riding the escalator at Encino Place shopping center in August 2005 when it stopped “suddenly and without warning,” knocking him down the stairs and causing permanent injuries, according to court records.

It wasn’t destined to be an easy case for Judge Schiavelli. California is a well-known judicial hellhole for plaintiffs who sue shopping malls. It’s second only to New Jersey in pro-mall bias.
And prejudice against judges may have played a role in the jury’s verdict:

The plaintiff’s lawyer, Browne Greene, said the jury ruled against Schiavelli not because of the merits of his case, but because of his position on the federal bench. “The bias against judges in today’s world is just palpable,” he said Monday evening.

Perhaps another argument in favor of a judicial pay raise?
P.S. What is it about judges who bring suit after falling down escalators or stairs? See also Judge Robert Bork and Judge Paul Chernoff.
Encino judge gets no award in escalator fall [Los Angeles Times]
George P. Schiavelli bio [Federal Judicial Center]
Hotties in the Holding Pen: Untimely SFJ Nominations [Underneath Their Robes]

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