Judge Matthew J. Gary Conflict of Interest Misconduct: Wife's Legal Services and Attorney Software Companies Undisclosed

Judge Matthew Gary Undisclosed Conflict of Interest with Wife's Legal Services Company

The wife of Sacramento Family Court Judge Matthew Gary owns a legal services company that provides administrative services to law firms and attorneys. Although Donna and Matthew Gary reportedly were divorced in 2012, the judge has never disclosed to attorneys and unrepresented litigants - before or after the divorce - the conflict of interest posed by his wife's company, Legal Administrative Services. 

As the graphic below indicates, Donna Gary has close ties to the Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section. And as we reported in 2011, Donna Gary also owns ClientTickler, a client management software program for attorneys. Sacramento Superior Court judge pro tem divorce attorneys Jackie Eston and Nancy Perkovich endorsed the software in a Sacramento Business Journal article published in June, 2011. For our earlier report, including the Business Journal article and the state laws which require the judge to disclose the conflict of interest, click here. 

Family court reform advocates have documented that a local group of attorneys who also serve as temporary judges often receive favorable treatment from full-time judges in exchange for running the family court settlement conference program. For additional reporting about other conflict of interest issues in Sacramento Family Court, click here.

For complete coverage of the people and issues in this post, click the corresponding labels below the graphic.   

Donna Gary, ex-wife of Judge Matthew Gary, will address the Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section.