Rafael A. Ongkeko, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Department 43, Stanley Mosk. Judge Ongkeko was appointed to the bench by Governor Davis October 17, 2002. Judge Ongkeko graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara with a Bachelor Degree and a law degree from Boalt Hall. The judge spent 23 years in public and private practice, 19 of those years in the office of County Counsel.
Having dealt with judges most of my life, justice courts, municipal courts and superior courts. I can see characteristics and get a feeling about the control and the tone I feel in the courtroom. During the last few days I sat in Judge Ongkeko’s court and felt like a person with an eating disorder in a room full of cup cakes. Do I eat it or do I not, Judge Ongkeko has a very scholarly appearance about him. He speaks well and looks the part, as he should, he is the judge! Family law judges (DIVORCE) tend to be able to “deal cards” quick and fast, a few can even deal by throwing the cards over their heads and they all land right were they should. I listened and watched very closely as Judge Ongkeko would listen and “get it” and if there was a way to stand on the previous judge’s ruling, that is what he would do. It did not feel to me as the “path of least resistance” but rather being a little unsure as to “pulling the trigger.” Make a decision, one of his own and then see what happens. My take and feel on this judge is based on my limited observations and I am sure that once this judge hits his stride he will gain more control over the cases before him.
I spoke to several lawyers and they were all guarded as to their thoughts on Judge Ongkeko, again time will tell. Having to sit there as an observer it was also obvious to me that Judge Ongkeko was very concerned about doing the right thing in his decisions with a huge abundance of caution. It is a little like old cops I rode with and learned from, we had “gun fighters” and we had “diplomats” — both had guns and badges and all looked like cops, but they had a different style in enforcing the law, just as judges!
I look forward to watching Judge Ongkeko in the future and wish him well in the years to come…do you think Judge Endman started out like this?
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After sitting in a Los Angeles Superior Court room for several days and watching presiding Family Law Judge Rafael Ongkeko not being capable of making a decision to save his own life and with that giving such an incredible unfair to women, was truly painful. Ongkeko scrambles through his mountain of paperwork, misreading information given to him previously and relying way to much on his courtroom clerk. I would also remark that Judge Rafael Ongkeko features a fairly arrogant attitude and handles his cases with a strong “from up here” demeanor, which was surprising to me given his humbler upbringing as a Philippino American immigrant. Overall Judge Rafael delivers a poor performance in his courtroom and should count himself happy for having been appointed to the bench by recalled former CA Governor Grey Davis. I seriously doubt Ralph A. Ongkeko, which is the name he used to use before he became a Judge, would have been able to get elected on his own right. He’s up for reelection in 2010 and while one can always hope that the voters would correct this wrong, it is highly unlikely given how uninformed many voters are when it comes to selecting the men and women who might get to decide what will happen to them, their family or their fortune in the future.
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