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Julie M. Anderson Holburn

Costa Mesa Cops Stonewall: PD hiding public records tied to journalist Julie Holburn’s corruption probe into Orange County family courts.

Costa Mesa Cops Stonewall Reporter on Court Corruption Files

    Costa Mesa Police are hiding something. Investigative journalist Julie M. Anderson-Holburn says they’re stonewalling her public records request in a case tied directly to her explosive reporting on Orange County family court corruption. Holburn requested police reports contradicting court claims made by high-powered attorney David Monarch. But the cops won’t release a word—citing “privacy” and ignoring their obligations under California law. Critics say it’s retaliation for Holburn’s journalism. CMPD’s excuses have sparked national outrage. “They’re using every loophole to keep those reports in the dark,” says Holburn. Now she’s going public—again. Costa Mesa may have picked the wrong journalist to cross.

    PAYWALL OF JUSTICE: ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

      After stonewalling for nearly a year, the Orange County Superior Court (OCSC) has hit investigative journalist Julie M. Anderson Holburn with a stunning $4,240 fee for a single public records report. The court’s months-long delays, bogus legal excuses, false retention claims, and personal attacks reveal a disturbing pattern: deny, deflect, retaliate. Holburn’s requests—clearly protected under California Rule of Court 10.500—seek basic family court administrative data already available on courthouse terminals. But instead of compliance, OCSC has chosen obfuscation. At stake is not just transparency, but the constitutional right of every Californian to know what their courts are doing.