SANTA ANA — As a U.S. magistrate judge who regularly arraigns crime suspects, referees discovery disputes and oversees civil settlement negotiations, John D. Early likens his job to a scene in the television show “Mad Men.” After a bloody office mishap with a riding lawnmower, a main character reassures his worried colleagues, “Believe me: Somewhere in this business, this has happened before.”
“That’s kind of how I feel ... (continued)