LOS ANGELES — A judge who inflated his educational achievements and falsely claimed he worked for the CIA and fought in Vietnam has been ordered removed from the bench.
In a 16-page order issued Wednesday, the state Commission on Judicial Performance said Superior Court Judge Patrick Couwenberg's fabrications were so egregious that it had no choice but to oust him.
"He lied to become a judge, elaborated on his misrepresentations for his enrobing ceremony and subsequently lied to the commission in an apparent attempt to frustrate its investigation," the commission order signed by Chairman Michael A. Kahn said.
Couwenberg's attorney, Edward P. George Jr., admitted his client is a compulsive liar but said he is a victim of a mental condition called "pseudologia fantastica" for which he is undergoing treatment.
"This removal has nothing to do with his on-the-bench conduct," George said. "It's strictly misstatements, some under oath, and he's under therapy right now and has so been during the last five months and has been making great progress."
George said he hasn't decided whether to appeal the ruling to the California Supreme Court.
If the case is not appealed, or the state high court refuses to hear it, the commission's decision will become final in 30 days.
Couwenberg, 56, was appointed in 1997 by then-Gov. Pete Wilson.
The commission said that when Couwenberg asked other judges for advice on getting a judicial appointment they told him it was important that Wilson know of his war record "because both (Wilson) and his judicial appointments secretary, Mr. John Davies, were ex-Marines."
Davies told commission investigators he specifically remembered interviewing Couwenberg because of his "unusual war experiences."
According to Wednesday's order and earlier proceedings in the case, Couwenberg misrepresented his educational background in applying to be a judge. He falsely claimed to have attended Loyola Law School and omitted mention of the unaccredited law school he attended, according to the report.
He lied to the judge who introduced him during his enrobing ceremony, falsely claiming to have been a corporal in the Army and to have received a Purple Heart.
Couwenberg lied even while testifying under oath during the commission's investigation, saying he was involved in covert CIA operations.