Chong

A jury convicted defendant Paul O. Chong of crimes relating to his participation in an insurance fraud scheme in which luxury cars were purchased in the United States, shipped to Hong Kong for sale in China, and then reported stolen here to collect insurance proceeds. Defendant was granted probation on the condition, among others, that he serve a period of confinement in the county jail. On appeal, he raises a variety of contentions.

In the published portion of this opinion, we reject defendant’s assertion that the trial court committed prejudicial error by repeatedly admonishing defense counsel, Maureen Kallins, in the presence of the jury. Defendant does not try to justify Kallins’s actions which led to the admonitions. Instead, he argues the “trial judge committed misconduct by rendering undiluted accusations and condemnations in the jury’s presence” instead of “simply excusing the jury when [the court] felt the necessity of admonishing or citing [Kallins’s] conduct . . . .”

As we shall explain, due to the many instances of unprofessional conduct in which Kallins made disparaging comments to the court, violated court rulings, and repeatedly interrupted the court and…