Did a Sonoma County Judge Fail to Report Major Assets?
Judge Patrick Broderick's family Trust included wine warehouses, a private airport, a quarry, Broderick General Engineering and multiple real properties to be distributed amongst beneficiaries
Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Patrick Broderick lost his brother due to cancer on April 27, 2020. Following his death, all property was transferred to the Earl Broderick Trust under the control of Mr. Raymond J. Fullerton Jr., Geary, Shea, O'Donnell, Grattan & Mitchell, P.C. as Trustee.
If all your property is in trust when you die (or become incompetent), then legally you don't own anything in your name. This means, if you die, no probate (formal court administration of a decedent's estate) is needed to pass your property on to your beneficiaries.
In essence, the distribution of property from the Trust to beneficiaries was not public record.
On May 4, 2020, The Sonoma Index-Tribune published an article titled ‘Sonoma salutes Earl Broderick, 1959 - 2020’.
Judge Patrick Broderick was quoted as follows:
"Earl was my best friend and the best man I have ever known," said his brother Patrick Broderick, a Sonoma County superior court judge. "He was a philanthropist who contributed to many Sonoma Valley nonprofits and he was always, always helping others. He was a mentor to many people."
Although Judge Broderick and his brother were allegedly ‘best friends’, the Judge’s statement of economic interest submitted to the Fair Political Practices Commissions did not indicate he inherited any property as beneficiary. He claims his one, and only source of income is through his position as a Judge.
The Earl Broderick Trust
Click here to view the order of transferring Trust Property to Trust.
Some of the major assets included:
Limited Partnership Interest in Carneros Fig Farm LLC
Limited Partnership Interest in Bear Flag Warehouse LLC
Limited Partnership Interest in Mayacamas Warehousing LLC
Limited Partnership Interest in Evergreen Warehousing LLC
Limited Partnership Interest in Northbay Warehousing LLC
Limited Partnership Interest in Moon Valley Warehouse, LLC
Limited Partnership Interest in Sky Park Oaks LLC
Earl’s 100% interest in John Benward Company (d.b.a. Broderick General Engineering)
100% interest in Nun’s Canyon Rock LLC
Ownership interest Hanger K-2 and Hanger N-2 (Sonoma Skypark)
100% interest in Earl’s Schedule C equipment leasing and construction business, known as Broderick Construction, including all assets and liabilities associated with said business interest.
Per a February 16, 2020 article in Water Technology:
Magna Imperio Systems Corp., a Texas-based provider of technology and innovative water treatment solutions, partnered with Mayacamas Warehousing LLC, owner of a water treatment facility that currently provides clean, uncontaminated water to Sonoma-based Free Flow Wines. Free Flow currently provides packaging services for 30 out of the top 50 wineries in the United States.
Even if Judge Broderick was not a direct beneficiary of his brother’s assets, has he ruled over cases directly related to those assets and associated parties? Which wineries utilized the Broderick Family wine warehouses?
How can Judge Broderick remain unbiased in cases represented by Geary, Shea, O'Donnell, Grattan & Mitchell, P.C. being that they control his family’s trust?
Aside from spouses, why are judges legally exempt from reporting the financial interests of their immediate family members to the Fair Political Practices Commission?
I don’t know…. but inheritance has different laws.