Most people don't vote in judicial elections — but judges affect your life more than almost any elected official. On this episode of Talking Downey, former Mayor Mario Guerra sits down with David DeJute, candidate for Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Seat #87.
DeJute is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, a Harvard Law graduate, a law professor at Pepperdine/Caruso School of Law, and someone who took a significant pay cut to run two disaster relief clinics — one after the Woolsey Fire in 2018 and another after the Palisades and Eaton Fires in 2025 — providing free legal help to victims targeted by predatory contractors.
He also happens to be an openly gay man who's been with his partner for 40 years. He didn't put that at the top of his campaign. But it's shaped how he sees fairness, tolerance, and who deserves to be heard in a courtroom.
This isn't a political episode. It's a conversation about integrity, what makes a good judge, why the court system matters to every single resident of LA County, and why one candidate says his job — if elected — is simple: call balls and strikes.
💬 To reach Mayor Mario: 562-706-4114
🔔 Subscribe — more election coverage coming, including all 14 propositions on the ballot.
00:00 – Welcome & Why Judges Matter to Your Life
00:34 – Meet David DeJute: Former AUSA, Law Professor, Seat #87
01:43 – Why He's Running: The Path to the Bench as a White Male
02:43 – "I Bring Diversity" — Married 40 Years, Raised a Son
03:15 – Growing Up Catholic in Ohio: Sexual Orientation & Becoming More Tolerant
03:58 – What Made Him Pursue Law: His Father Was a Judge
04:31 – Career Breadth: Trial Lawyer, AUSA, Sony Pictures, Pepperdine
05:27 – Pepperdine Disaster Relief Clinic: The Woolsey Fire (2018)
06:28 – The Palisades & Eaton Fires (2025): He Took a Pay Cut to Help
07:02 – Teaching Law Students Empathy — Practical Skills They Don't Teach in Class
08:10 – How Predatory Contractors Exploit Fire Victims
09:30 – "Sit Next to Them" — What Fire Victims Really Need From a Lawyer
11:25 – What Makes a Good Judge: His Father's Legacy on the Bench
12:36 – Fairness in a Divisive Time — Civility in the Courtroom
13:54 – His Time at the U.S. Attorney's Office: "Lying Was Not an Option"
14:15 – The Plaintiff Who Lost — and Still Shook His Hand
15:58 – Federal Grand Jury: He Served as Foreman
18:31 – The Grand Jury System & Why Prosecutorial Integrity Matters
20:09 – His Dad Said He Was "Too Nice to Be a Lawyer" — He Disagrees
22:09 – Real Advocacy: How You Treat Opposing Counsel Comes Back to You
23:46 – What Cases Go Before a Superior Court Judge in LA County
25:07 – New Judges Start at the Bottom: Traffic Court in Lancaster
26:17 – Final Pitch: Why Voters Should Choose DeJute
26:33 – Notre Dame, Harvard Law, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau
28:32 – The Baseball Analogy: "A Judge's Job Is to Call Balls and Strikes"
29:34 – Mario's Endorsement & Why These Judicial Races Matter
30:10 – Closing: 14 Propositions Coming — Stay Informed
