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David DeJute

Law Professor/Attorney
31.3% in JuneTrellis civil record

Former federal prosecutor and Sony Pictures litigation VP; adjunct running Pepperdine's Disaster Relief Clinic; rated Qualified. MetNews calls his 'Law Professor' ballot title misleading.

On your ballot. Los Angeles County Superior Court, Office No. 87. Choose one: Anthony (A.J.) Bayne or David DeJute.

Qualifications

Ballot designation. Law Professor/Attorney
Outside rating. LACBA: Qualified
From the LA County Bar Association's evaluation of candidates in this election. This is LACBA's assessment, not Trellis's.
Background. Admitted 1991 (Harvard Law). Federal clerk; Kaye Scholer; about a decade as VP of Litigation at Sony Pictures; about 11 years as a federal prosecutor; of counsel at Michelman & Robinson since 2017; adjunct professor running Pepperdine's Disaster Relief Clinic. As a federal prosecutor he won dismissal of a "birther" suit against President Obama.

Conduct

MetNews argues his "Law Professor" title is misleading since he is an adjunct, and criticized a 2018 campaign site that implied he was still a federal prosecutor.

Endorsements

LA County Democratic Party, Rep. Ted Lieu, Treasurer Fiona Ma, Sen. Ben Allen, Rick Caruso.
Candidate survey answers (LAist) ›

Court records

Trellis attorney record · civil cases only
20 civil cases confirmed as counsel, 2009 to 2026, mostly in LA County (also Riverside, Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Ventura). Mix: commercial and contract disputes, landlord-tenant, torts. Roughly half plaintiff, half defense. Includes plaintiff's counsel in a mass tort against Southern California Edison.
Covers civil state trial court records. Criminal cases are a known blind spot, so an empty or short record usually reflects a criminal practice, not a lack of experience.
Sources: MetNews 2018CityWatch

Others on the same ballot

  • Maria GhobadiLA deputy DA with 6+ years in Gang Homicide; MetNews reports 85+ jury trials, 21 of them homicides. Rated Well Qualified by LACBA; no controversies found.
  • Rhonda A. HaymonLA deputy public defender since 2004; rated Qualified. MetNews, which opposes her, reports a 2024 contempt finding and a 2026 court admonishment over a missed appearance.
  • Justin Allen ClaytonSupervising deputy public defender at the Inglewood branch; self-reports dozens of trials, including three life cases. Rated Qualified by LACBA; no controversies found.
  • Anna Slotky ReitanoDeputy county counsel supervising civil litigation, after 10+ years as a public defender; rated Qualified. MetNews questioned her independence over a 2022 slate and her ballot title.
  • Anthony (A.J.) BayneAbout 25 years as an LA deputy public defender, 19 in Compton; now handles special-circumstance murders. Rated Well Qualified by LACBA; former aerospace worker; no controversies found.
  • Donna TryfmanLA deputy public defender since 1998 handling capital cases; former president of the statewide Public Defenders Association; rated Qualified. MetNews notes critics who call her abrasive.
  • David RossLA County alternate public defender since 2000 and former TV reporter; self-reports 113 jury trials; rated Qualified. 'Alternate' was added to his ballot title after a protest.