The Paralegal Pretenders Return: “Angel Law” Breaks Her Silence on Podcast, Defends Orange County Lawyer, Attacks Reporter
Christy Black, known online as “Angel Law,” denies impersonating a paralegal—but records suggest deeper interference in California custody cases.
In a recent episode of The Unknown Podcast (Episode 40, May 29, 2025), Christy Black—previously identified by this reporter as the self-proclaimed paralegal known as “Angel Law”—responded publicly to allegations that she misrepresented herself as a legal professional and referred vulnerable parents to a small group of attorneys operating in Orange County, Calif., including David Monarch and Art LaCilento.
“She said I’m a fake paralegal. That’s like being a fake janitor… I fake clean toilets? No, no,” Black said during the broadcast, hosted by journalists Richard Luthmann and Michael Volpe.
Between 2021 and 2022, prior to this reporter’s formal transition into journalism, Ms. Black sent this reporter more than 120 text messages and engaged in multiple phone calls offering unsolicited legal advice, referrals, and strategic direction. These records appear to show a pattern of coaching, interference, misrepresentation, and exploitation—occurring during some of the most critical periods in a contested custody case involving longstanding abuse.
They now form part of a growing body of evidence suggesting coordinated misconduct targeting protective parents within the Orange County family court system.
(See article: EXCLUSIVE: The Paralegal Pretenders of Orange County — A Hidden Threat in Family Court.)
🎥 View the 12-minute portion of the podcast with Angel Law aka Christy Black:
On the podcast, hosted by journalists Richard Luthmann and Michael Volpe, Black mocked the accusation:“She said I’m a fake paralegal. That’s like being a fake janitor…
‘Yeah, yeah, I… I fake clean toilets.’ Uh, no. No, no.”
“Being a paralegal is like a real shit job… You have to deal with helping attorneys get things completed… You have to shoulder a lot of burdens.”
Black minimized the seriousness of the unauthorized practice of law (UPL), disregarding California's statutory requirements under Business and Professions Code §§ 6125–6126 and 6450–6456. When pressed on whether she had proper licensure, she replied:
“Maybe I don’t. I don’t know if it’s possible… She should probably try reading the Business and Professions Code.”
She then shifted from legal denial to personal attack:
“And then the other really funny one here is, you know”—(scoffs)—“that like level of hate where I’ve never met this chick, right? Like, all she wants to do is, you know, write a blog. And she, you know, claims that she's a journalist, but journalism…”
Host Richard Luthmann promptly shut that down:
“Christy, I’m gonna stop you there. She’s a journalist. She’s been attacked in cases, she’s become a reporter. Reporters Committee have come to her defense as a journalist.
But my question—I have you here—who’s David Monarch, and what’s the deal?”
But the most revealing moment came when Black defended attorney David Monarch—the same lawyer who represented my ex-husband in our family court case and who submitted my published articles as evidence to question my fitness as a mother:
“Here is the number one reason why I have so much admiration for David Monarch… He’s the only attorney in the OC swamp who tries to get everyone to settle without a judge.”
When Luthmann pressed her on why Monarch would submit protected First Amendment material to strip a mother of custody, Black deflected:
“If the client says, ‘I want you to put these in,’ the attorney has their hands tied.”
Luthmann didn’t let her off the hook:
“When you piss on the First Amendment… you’re not a good person, and you’re not a good lawyer.”
In another exchange from the podcast, Black made a deeply concerning admission while discussing this reporter’s custody case:
“But, um, you know, something that’s very, you know, concerning is that in the Holburn case, the father was on supervised visits for years. And, you know, I… I… I do not agree with supervised visits at all. I do not, unless a parent has been physically or sexually, uh, violent with the children.”
Host Michael Volpe immediately interjected:
“He was. Which he was!”
Volpe added:
“And he went from supervised visits to having sole custody. And the only thing they could accuse her of is parental alienation—as you [Christy] were accused of parental alienation.”
Christy replied:
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. But his AVVO ratings—there are several hundred, all five-star.”
To which Luthmann sharply responded:
“Yeah, but AVVO is marketing BS. I know AVVO. I could go on there and tank somebody. You can. I used to be a lawyer, dear. I… I know. Had a 10.0 rating until the FBI came and dragged me outta my law office.”
This exchange exposed not only Black’s refusal to acknowledge serious abuse allegations, but also her continued pattern of minimizing legitimate concerns while using superficial legal metrics to defend accused abusers.
When Monarch’s use of my own article was brought up, Volpe read directly from the court pleading:
“And it’s right here. A few days later, Ms. Holburn made another public announcement that I am trying to kill her in an online article titled
Volpe added:
“And he put a link to my article. He absolutely did argue in this motion that Julie should lose custody based on my article.”
When Luthmann reminded Black that this violated constitutional rights, she pushed back:
“Julie’s, you know, is pissing on my profession… But at the end of the day… the attorney still has to do what a client wants, right? Like, so if the client is saying, ‘I want you to put these in,’ the attorney… has their hands tied. Unless you’re asking them to do something unlawful, they’re supposed to do what you ask.”
Luthmann concluded:
“Yeah. You’re violating the First Amendment. That’s pretty unlawful to me!”
Coaching, Interference, and Exploitation During Peak Crisis
Between 2021 and 2022, Christy Black—operating under the alias Angel Law—sent this reporter over 120 text messages and called dozens times. These communications reflect a persistent and intrusive pattern of unsolicited legal advice, interference, and strategic manipulation during a critical family court crisis. In these messages, Black:
Claimed that my case was of interest to Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office and that a petition or complaint was being filed with the Senate Judiciary Committee (back in 2021).
Referred me to attorneys she described as close professional allies, including Art LaCilento.
Asserted she was “working with two attorneys” to bring my case before the federal judiciary.
Claimed that “Chris Bayuk” and “Robert Powell” were “filing on your behalf.”
Alleged that Judge Leal would be “removed from federal nomination.”
Attempted to direct my legal strategy, urging me to file a CCP § 170.6 disqualification motion.
Insisted that her associates had “submitted minute orders as evidence.”
Among her text messages:
“One of them already got one of your minute orders and submitted as evidence that you will face retaliation… Apparently there was a case like yours already that made a federal judge lose their seat.”
“Pat is on the phone… she’s livid and wants to take your case to the Judiciary Committee.”
Black repeatedly pressured this reporter to contact attorneys she claimed were waiting on the line, warning that they were “pretty mad,” “[this reporter] went missing in action.” She described her collaborator “Pat” as “losing her mind over custody taken from you” and asked to “three-way you” into phone calls—attempting to insert herself into my legal crisis without formal credentials or consent. Her on-air denial appears not only disingenuous—it’s an attempt to rewrite the record while her own digital trail says otherwise.
Here are some texts from Angel Law:
A Journalist’s Introduction to Angel Law: Bassi’s Endorsement and the 2022 Setup
In August 2022, this reporter was introduced to Christy Black—then operating under the alias “Angel Law”—by investigative journalist Susan Bassi and Donna McCracken. At the time, Bassi was collaborating with Davis Vanguard reporter Robert J. Hansen on a series titled Tainted Trials, Tarnished Headlines, Stolen Justice.
Bassi encouraged this reporter to work with Black directly. I trusted Bassi’s judgment—at that point, as she was a vocal “advocate” for protective parents. But this connection became the catalyst for events now unfolding in courtrooms, podcasts, and public records.
December 31, 2022: A Two-Hour Call After Court-Ordered Trauma
By mid-2022, I suspected that Angel Law and Christy Black were the same person, operating under a pseudonym and misrepresenting their identity and intentions to me. After I stopped responding to Black’s messages, Black continued to reach out. Unexpectedly, on New Year’s Eve 2022, she called and engaged me in a two-hour conversation. In early 2023, I confirmed she was indeed using the alias “Angel Law.”
On the evening of December 31, 2022—just one month after Orange County Judge James Waltz issued an order flipping full custody of my children to their father, represented by attorney David Monarch—Christy Black called me out of the blue. I had not requested the call, nor had we spoken in some time.
The call lasted more than two hours.
Throughout the conversation, Black oscillated between vague expressions of concern for my well-being and invasive questions about my legal strategy, emotional state, and willingness to continue fighting in court. Rather than offering support or solidarity, she failed to acknowledge the traumatic impact of Judge Waltz’s ruling—or to question the ethics of attorney David Monarch, who had represented my ex and played a central role in the custody transfer.
Instead, she revealed that she and Monarch were “close friends”—a detail she would later confirm publicly during a May 2025 podcast appearance, in which she also defended his conduct.
The timing, tone, and content of the call—just weeks after a devastating court ruling—raised serious concerns about Black’s motives. Rather than offering comfort or advocacy, her unsolicited outreach felt like a calculated attempt to monitor, manipulate, and exploit emotional vulnerability in the wake of a life-altering legal defeat.
Facebook Screenshot: Public Smear and Contradiction
Following publication of a May 2023 article about my case by journalist Robert Hansen, a member of the private “Rigged” Facebook group tagged Angel Law, noting Judge Waltz’s role. On June 4, 2023, Black responded:
“Yeah, but Julie is a know-it-all and didn’t listen when I told her to 170.6 that child abuser/molester Waltz.”
(See Article: Orange County Court Ignores Abundant Evidence of Abuse, Gives Children to Father)
Subsequently, Susan Bassi posted a reply on X (formerly Twitter) to a follow up article just days after publication:
“That article on OC DA is not part of the series and is not endorsed or promoted by me in any way.”
(See Article: GUEST COMMENTARY: ORANGE COUNTY DA’S OFFICE HOSTILITY TO WOMEN)
(See Article cross published and updated here: Orange County DA's Office Hostile to Women: Unprotected OC Women Suffer Under Spitzer's Retaliation)
Bassi further attempted to discredit my story and the facts of my case, contacting the publisher, Davis Vanguard, to demand the removal of Hansen’s articles about my case and those of Maya and Sebastian Laing from their website.
October 30, 2023 Voicemail to Reporter Robert J. Hansen
Almost another year later Christy Black left a voicemail for journalist Robert J. Hansen referencing my case and another father—Brian Helliwell—whose family court case she described as “identical” to mine. The message suggests Black continued monitoring my situation and sought to introduce me to Helliwell, despite later claiming she had “never met” or meaningfully interacted with me:
“Hey Robert… I believe you have contact… with, uh, that chick, Julie Holburn. And I, I, I think, I don’t know if you guys are a couple or what…”
“The similarity is… it was just overwhelming to hear. The guy’s name is Brian Helliwell… maybe even at least get them connected.”
🎧 Listen to the voicemail from Christy Black here:
She Said She Didn’t Know Me — The Texts Tell a Different Story
Just minutes after mocking my reporting and credentials, in the Black doubled down on her denial of ever having personal contact with me:
“And then the other really funny one here is, you know, that like level of hate where… I’ve never met this chick, right?”
Yet Black had not only met me—she had messaged me, advised me, called me, coached me, and inserted herself into my legal case repeatedly for over a year. The claim that she had “never met” me directly contradicts:
Over 120 text messages were sent by Black between 2021 and 2022
Phone records confirming multiple lengthy calls, including one lasting over two hours on December 31, 2022 - where she discloses she is close friends with David Monarch and says “We didn't know he was a con artist.”
A voicemail she left for journalist Robert J. Hansen in October 2023 referencing me by name and attempting to “connect” me with another litigant
Legal advice and strategy she dictated in those messages, including advice to file complaints, disqualify judges, and work with attorneys she personally recommended
Far from being a stranger, Christy Black was an active, persistent, and at times intrusive participant in my legal strategy and emotional distress. Her on-air denial appears not only disingenuous—it’s an attempt to rewrite the record while her own digital trail says otherwise.
Final Contact From Christy Black: An Attempt to Regain Influence?
The last text message this reporter received from Christy Black, dated February 22, 2024, after more than a year of no response from me underscores her ongoing attempt to regain control of the narrative—even after months of silence:
“Julie, I know we can’t stand one another but a group that I am involved with from the probate courts just told me that one of the board of supervisors, Andrew Do is the husband of OC Asst Presiding Judge Cheri Pham, and apparently there’s some sort of investigation with a group called Eitan accountability or something like that because Board of Supervisors Andrew Do purportedly illicitly sent millions of dollars to his daughter and is purportedly under an investigation.
I don’t know if you ever got your kids back or what.
This other group had every member calling the LA FBI today to report OC Court & racketeering syndicate “minors counsel” etc.
I did it too.
The FBI was attentive and took a report for an hour
310-477-6565”
While Black now presents herself as a whistleblower reporting court corruption to the FBI, her tone and intent remain consistent with prior behaviors: deflection, triangulation, and reinserting herself into others’ trauma narratives to appear relevant.
Subsequently Christy Black aka Angel Law continued to disparage me to others:
The actions and statements described suggest a pattern of legal interference, exploitation, misrepresentation, and retaliatory targeting of protective parents who challenge Christy Black’s influence or expose her conduct.
These and other experiences motivated me to advocate for families and children. Moving from speaking at the Capitol in support of protective legislation to investigative journalism, I discovered I was not alone in my encounters with “Angel Law,” also known as Christy Black, and the broader issue of family court corruption.
I do not disparage the paralegal profession or any profession. My work focuses on exposing corruption, fraud, and misconduct that harms children and families.
This behavior reflects classic projection and “CYA” tactics—prioritizing impression management over accountability.
This ongoing investigative series on the Orange County family court crisis seeks to bring national attention to systemic failures and advocate for urgent reform and accountability. Lawmakers, the media, and the public must come together to demand justice for families and protection for children.
Are you committed to protecting American children and restoring integrity to our legal system?
Contact your legislative representatives. Speak out. Reach out to media outlets. And vote.
Whistleblowers and victims of family court, CPS, probate court, or foster care corruption anywhere in the U.S.—please contact this reporter at juliea005@proton.me.
Together, we can ignite a national movement and create lasting change.
Julie M. Anderson-Holburn is a California-based investigative journalist reporting on family court corruption, judicial abuse, and systemic failures. Her work is published on NewsBreak, Substack, and The Family Court Circus, and has been featured by the Center for Judicial Excellence and National Safe Parents. Julie believes that exposing the truth is the first step toward meaningful reform.
This article was made possible by the support of readers like you. Thank you.
Related coverage from California and Arizona:
San Diego trial begins in retired prosecutor's lawsuit against Orange County
OC Supervisors Move to Settle Eight Harassment Cases Against District Attorney
Jury selection to begin in San Diego in Todd Spitzer retaliation lawsuit
OC Supervisors Quietly Settle Child Abuse Case for $28 Million
Orange County woman worries she may end up like Gabby Petito
Orange County's How to Manual for Racketeering in Child Custody
Orange County DA's Office Hostile to Women: Unprotected OC Women Suffer Under Spitzer's Retaliation
OC Bar Association says “I just want to protect my children” means “I just want to screw my ex”
Orange County Mother's Plea for Protection: Local Police and OCDA's office Fail to Act
Mother Sues The Irvine Company, Orange County DA and Family Court Retaliate
Orange County Court Ignores Abundant Evidence of Abuse, Gives Children to Father
A blood feud rocks O.C. law enforcement with claims of ‘dirty cop,’ ‘corrupt’ D.A.
Orange County’s First Reunification Therapist Removes Herself From All Family Court Cases
Former Orange County Reunification Therapist Mislead Courts About Credentials
The Victims of Jessica St. Clair, Parents and Children Share Their Trauma, Part Two
Whistleblowers Reveal Corruption in Orange County Family Courts and Beyond
CENSORED FOR SPEAKING OUT: OCDA Deleted Public Comments During Its Own Crime Victims Rights Ceremony
OC Court Delays for 10 Months—Then Demands $4,240 for One Public Record
Keshel threatens to investigate judge over pending family-court cases
04/14/2025 - Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders
EXCLUSIVE: The Paralegal Pretenders of Orange County — A Hidden Threat in Family Court
Orange County’s Justice Meltdown: Judge Carmen Luege’s Unlawful Orders and Due Process Violations
OC Man Charged with 5 Felony Counts of Molestation: Family Court and CPS Ignored Reports for Years
OCDA Ignores Good Cause Law, Family Court Violates Due Process in Tawny Minna Grossman Case
Judicial Misconduct in OC? Judge’s Threats Against Mother Over Media Coverage Become Reality
Weaponized Gag Orders: How an OC Judge Is Silencing a Quadriplegic Mother’s Fight for Justice
Orange County Judges Block Public and Media from Court Hearings
Update: “Tar’s Road to Recovery” Mom Bullied by OC Minors’ Counsel in Fight Over Special Needs Trust
Injustice in OC: mom of tar's road to recovery faces unjust & prolonged separation from her kids
OC Judge’s Orders Lead to Premature Birth: Baby Sahara Fights for Life
California Judges: The Good, the Bad, and the… San Joaquin County, Part Two
Welcome to Unveiled and Uncensored: Investigating Family Court Corruption
Links to other OC prominent cases and additional reading:
A blood feud rocks O.C. law enforcement with claims of ‘dirty cop,’ ‘corrupt’ D.A.
State of the Nation 2012 Report
OC Supervisors Settle Lawsuit Alleging Social Services Did Not Report Child Sex Abuse
U.S. SUPREME COURT RE‐ JECTS ORANGE COUNTY’S CHALLENGE TO $4.9 MILLION LAWSUIT
Fox 11 Reporter, Producer Mar‐ tin Burns Dies in Hiking Accident
OC Weekly: LAWMAKERS OK CHILD PROTECTIVE SER‐ VICES AUDIT REQUEST PARTLY SPARKED BY OC CASE: UPDATE
OC Weekly’s Coverage on Ruby Dillon’s Custody Battle
Filed 6/14/10 Fogarty-Hardwick v. County of Orange CA G039045
Attorney Unveils Suit Alleging Cover-up of Disgusting Child Abuse by DA, County Agency
Voice of OC: Problems in OC Child Welfare System Get Statewide Scrutiny
Voice of OC: OC Child Protec‐ tion Agency Under Fire
Lexi Dillion Case: What Caused an Expert To Change His Mind?
Court Trafficking of Jonah Reef & Lexi Dillion gets national at‐ tention, exposes corruption
JUDGES REJECT ORANGE COUNTY’S CLAIM THAT SO‐ CIAL WORKERS DIDN’T KNOW LYING IN COURT WAS WRONG
From first hand experience I know Mike always got money under the table! So I’m curious since Black brought him the BIG MONEY CASES such as Bill’s can you both, Black and Volpe show us just how much you profited off of the Sardi case? I know how rich he was! And that Black acted as his paralegal for many years as he was dying! I know a lot more! So who shall I call when you refuse or stay silent regarding this question I just asked? Remember, FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE!! I keep telling Mike to STOP TELLING LIES BUT NOPE! From DBAG (Mike came up with that) out of respect I will not use her real name, to continued false allegations, to you Black threatening me after I had my son, KNOW THE TRUTH FIRST! Know withholding my son, Concealing and harboring him telling people lies after lies, completely unacceptable behavior which is miles long and too many victims to write about! Just know I KNOW! I am so proud and have so much respect for Julie! A real journalist! Julie is by far the only victim! More to come!
Wow! She is all over this one page in Ladera as a paralegal. Sorry this is what you had to go through Julie, on top tof the nightmare you are going through with child custody. Somehow what she is doing must be illegal . She has reached out to me numerous times.