Be Judge-y Guide

Our Rebel  recommendations for LA Superior Court Judges highlight candidates with track records, reputations, and stated judicial philosophies that align with Reproductive Justice (RJ) values and work to address, disrupt, and dismantle the related issues that adversely impact the health and well-being of our community. We expect that these candidates’ expansive understanding of justice will help to protect against the assaults on the dignity of our community and better protect our rights. 

Defenders of Justice

Launched in 2022 by La Defensa, Ground Game LA, and judicial accountability organizers, the Defenders of Justice Slate is comprised of progressive candidates who will work to transform and revolutionize the LA County Courts. We are thrilled to amplify these recommended candidates who make up this Defenders of Justice slate:

HOW TO BE JUDGE-Y

As a voter, we want you to feel empowered when you cast your vote and welcome you to do your own research to ensure that each candidate you vote for aligns with your values. While we know that candidates who qualify for appointment or the ballot must meet minimum requirements, that does not give us enough information about how they might rule from the bench. We have to dig deeper in order to make the most well informed decision that we can. Here are some things to consider as you evaluate the judicial candidates on your ballot:

Who rocks with them?

Look at the organizations, community members, and others whose views and values you respect and align with who have given their endorsement. Are they endorsed by the Police? A mission driven organization that fights for causes that you stand for? A news outlet that you respect and rely on for sound information? 

Who have they served?

Understand which communities and stakeholders have benefitted from their legal work. This can give us insights about their mission, passions and philosophy, which will be reflected in how they rule from the bench.

What do they have to offer?

Consider the diverse perspective they will bring to the bench.  

What are their peers saying?

There can be some good tea here. Check the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) ratings.

You will see that most candidates receive a qualification rating from LACBA, which is the main professional organization for L.A.’s legal community. These ratings are an important resource that looks at more than bar admission and years of service. However, it is important to note that while the evaluation committee uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative data to aid their ratings, there is critique of the lack of transparency around their deliberations, especially when assignment of these ratings is based on several stated metrics that include integrity, competence, and professional ability, to name a few. There certainly can be limitations in the way that those measures are applied to candidates across a diversity of professional backgrounds, lived experiences, education, and circumstances that may result in lower ratings to nontraditional candidates.

What are they saying about themselves?

Check the candidate’s website – a great place to start and most times, a great source of information, actually. You will learn more about the candidates, their platforms, and generally whether their campaign is a serious one. 

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Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges

In even–numbered years, California voters may have the opportunity to vote on judges of the Superior Courts, also known as a county’s Trial Courts. While the current landscape demonstrates to us that Courts at all levels have material impacts on our lives, Judges of the Superior Court rule in both criminal and civil cases on issues that range from traffic violations to dependency cases to small claims to divorce, among many others. This means that our communities are most likely to encounter and engage with judges at this level and they therefore determine whether we have to pay that hefty fine for the traffic citation, whether a child is removed from their family’s home, or the terms of your divorce and so on. So, who occupies these seats is critically important to the lives of our community. 

For the March 5th Primary Election, voters registered in Los Angeles County were asked to select Superior Court judges in 10 races. Judges running in a contested race who earned the majority (over 50%) of the vote in the primary won outright. In the races where no candidate received a majority of the vote, the top two candidates advanced to the general election ballot. In Five (5) of the 10 races, no candidate earned a majority of the vote, so for the November 5th General Election, voters are being asked to select a candidate in the run-off between the top two vote getters from the Primaries. 

This guide outlines Black Women for Wellness Action Project’s pick for the five (5) L.A. Superior Court Judicial races. While we do not offer recommendations for judicial races in all 58 of California’s counties, in this guide we offer some tips on how to assess judicial candidates for yourself, so that whether you vote in L.A. or a different county, you can make the best decision for yourself! 

About L.A. Superior Court

Judges of the Los Angeles County Superior Court hear all civil and criminal cases across the legal spectrum, including family law, dependency, probate, mental health, traffic, misdemeanors, juvenile delinquency, small claims, and felonies. Judges are assigned to a particular department by the Court’s Presiding Judge, and hear cases in their departmental practice area.  The Court runs several innovative programs designed to provide rehabilitative, collaborative, and restorative justice to qualified defendants, including Veterans’ Court, Drug Court, and Homeless Court. The Los Angeles County Superior Court is the nation’s largest trial court, includes over 400 judges, and serves a population of over 10 million people. 

Election & Term Information

Judges of the Superior Court are elected to six-year terms in non-partisan races, so you will not find any information about whether they are running as a Democrat or Republican candidate –– it’s not allowed! Qualified candidates for Superior Court must be an attorney admitted to the California Bar or a judge of a court of record in California for at least 10 years immediately preceding their election or appointment. Although many are initially appointed to their seat by the Governor when there is a mid-term vacancy (for ex. death or retirement), voters have the opportunity to vote on trial court judges when a candidate challenges a sitting judge or when an incumbent announces their intent to vacate a seat a few months before an election. Judges who are running unopposed do not appear on the ballot, and are automatically declared the winner after the primary election. Judges running in a contested race must win the majority (over 50%) of the vote in the primary to win outright. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates advance to the general election ballot. So, the judicial candidates on your ballot did not earn the majority vote in the primaries, but were most likely the top two vote getters in their respective races.