# Maria Ghobadi *legal · Superior Court Judge, Office 64 · attorney* — November 3, 2026 General Election (2026-11-03), Los Angeles County, California Research pack generated 2026-10-30T23:52:30+00:00 by ballotscope. Summaries are LLM-generated from the linked originals and may contain errors; check the originals before relying on anything. Sources span 2026-03-03 to 2026-10-15. ## Overview (as of 2026-10-29, from 13 sources) Maria Ghobadi, a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, faces deputy public defender Rhonda A. Haymon in the Office 64 runoff [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race; Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges: Who's running in the Nov. 3 election and why it matters]. LACBA rated her Well Qualified; it rated Haymon Qualified [LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report]. She came to the US from Iran as a child, prosecuted in San Joaquin County from 2007, prosecuted attorney misconduct for the State Bar, and joined the LA DA in 2015, where she has spent seven years in gang homicide [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race; Maria Ghobadi for Judge: biography]. She reports 87 to 88 jury trials (23 to 24 homicide) [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race; Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website)]. Her license is active with no discipline listed [State Bar of California attorney profile: Maria Ghobadi (#242945)]. Endorsers include the Daily News, MetNews, 75+ judges, three DAs (Hochman, Lacey, Cooley), the county Democratic Party, unions and police associations [Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website); Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64; Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64; Confused by the judicial races? Here are our LA County Superior Court endorsements]. The Daily News also reports county Republican Party backing [Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64]. Praise centers on preparation and temperament [Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64; Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates); Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64]. No source criticizing her was found. Her own words are limited to campaign copy and interview excerpts in a supportive column [Maria Ghobadi for Judge: biography; Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website); Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates)]. ### Record highlights - Admitted to the State Bar in 2006. License active, no discipline listed. [State Bar of California attorney profile: Maria Ghobadi (#242945)] - Prosecutor in San Joaquin County from 2007 (domestic violence, child abduction units), then State Bar deputy trial counsel prosecuting attorney misconduct. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race; Maria Ghobadi for Judge: biography] - LA County deputy DA since 2015, including seven-plus years in the Gang Homicide Division. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race; Maria Ghobadi for Judge: biography] - Trial counts rise across 2026 sources: 85+ jury trials with 21 homicide (March), 87 with 23 (October), 88 with 24 murder (campaign site); plus 1,500+ preliminary hearings. [Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64; Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race; Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website)] - January 2026 DA performance evaluation: top rating, "Far Exceeded Expectations (Outstanding)," as quoted by MetNews. [Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64] - Rated Well Qualified by LACBA (April 22, 2026). [LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report] ### Stated positions - Presents herself as balancing public protection with "the constitutional rights of the accused." [Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website)] - Declined to compare DA Gascón's and DA Hochman's policies ("It's kind of irrelevant what my thoughts are"), saying her cases should look right regardless of who her boss is (May 2026). [Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates)] - Says she would aim for "measured and balanced" outcomes and to keep cases from "languishing in the system" (May 2026). [Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64] - Lists dignity and effective calendar management as priorities. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race] ### Where sources disagree - Tenure at the LA DA: the campaign says "over 12 years" and the Daily News "nearly two decades," while the LA Times dates her start to 2015 and MetNews says "nearly 11 years." The longer figures may count her earlier prosecutor work elsewhere. [Maria Ghobadi for Judge: biography; Confused by the judicial races? Here are our LA County Superior Court endorsements; Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race; Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64] - Party support: the Daily News says both county Democratic and Republican parties backed her. The visible part of her campaign's (collapsed) list shows only the Democratic Party. [Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64; Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website)] ### Gaps - No critical or opposing source about Ghobadi was found. - No questionnaire answers in her own name (LAist's survey answers were not captured), and no debate or forum record. - No case records, briefs or rulings tied to her cases; trial outcomes are not documented. - No campaign-finance data. - The LACBA report gives no reasons for its rating. The Daily Journal ratings story was blocked (HTTP 403). ### Arguments for / praise - Deep trial and homicide experience and an outstanding performance review. — *Metropolitan News-Enterprise* [Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64] - Temperament and care in speech suited to the bench; a "pristine reputation." — *Rafael Perez (SCNG), Los Angeles Daily News editorial board* [Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates); Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64; Confused by the judicial races? Here are our LA County Superior Court endorsements] - Broad support from judges, prosecutors, some defense lawyers, and across party lines. — *Los Angeles Daily News editorial board, Maria Ghobadi campaign* [Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64; Confused by the judicial races? Here are our LA County Superior Court endorsements; Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website)] - Respected by the defense bar and bench officers. — *Unnamed judge quoted by MetNews, Jason Sanabria, Alternate Public Defender* [Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64; Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website)] ## Analysis of their own words (as of 2026-10-29) Coverage: Three samples: an SCNG opinion column (2026-05-14) quoting her interview answers, in excerpts the columnist edited (S1), and two campaign web pages written in the third person, the homepage (dated 2026-03-03 by page metadata) and an undated bio (S2, S3). Missing: questionnaire answers in her own name, debate or forum transcripts, briefs, oral arguments, and any writing on legal questions. The unscripted material is a few excerpted sentences. No evidence of interpretive method or views on precedent. As expressed, her approach centers on balance and case-by-case correctness: she pairs "protecting the public" with "the constitutional rights of the accused" (S2) and judges her own work by whether outcomes would look right "regardless of who her boss is" (S1). She declined to compare DA Gascón's and DA Hochman's policies (S1), so her views on criminal-justice policy are not shown. Articulation: **insufficient_evidence**. The prepared texts are clear but generic campaign copy, written in the third person (S2, S3). The only unscripted words are a few edited excerpts (S1). They are measured but loosely phrased ("I just kind of put my head down"), and on the one policy question asked she declined to answer substantively. That is too little to rate. Consistency: **insufficient_evidence**. The samples agree with one another (a prosecutor stressing fairness and balance), but they cover only 2026 and include no earlier statements to compare against. - Why she is running: Judges' rulings deeply affect communities, defendants and victims, and she wants to have that impact. - "Their rulings impact the community and the defendants and the victims so much" [Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates)] (2026-05-14) - Prosecution policy (Gascón vs. Hochman): Declined to give a view; says only that she does her job and that her cases should stand up on their own. - "It’s kind of irrelevant what my thoughts are" [Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates)] (2026-05-14) - "regardless of who her boss is, that was the right outcome" [Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates)] (2026-05-14) - Public safety and defendants' rights: The campaign presents her as balancing both. - "Maria understands the balance between protecting the public while upholding the constitutional rights of the accused." [Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website)] (2026-03-03) Limitations: Two of the three samples are campaign copy, and the third is an advocate's selection of her words. No legal writing was available, so her legal reasoning cannot be assessed. ## Timeline (newest first) - **2026-10-15** — Published: The LA Watchdog's 2026 Voter Guide (CityWatch LA (The LA Watchdog)) - **2026-10-15** — LA Watchdog recommended Ghobadi (CityWatch LA (The LA Watchdog)) - **2026-10-10** — Published: Confused by the judicial races? Here are our LA County Superior Court endorsements (Los Angeles Daily News) - **2026-10-09** — Daily News editorial board restated its endorsement of Ghobadi (Los Angeles Daily News) - **2026-10-09** — Published: 2026 General Election: Recommendations for L.A. County Superior Court Judges (Colorado Boulevard) - **2026-10-02** — Published: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges: Who's running in the Nov. 3 election and why it matters (LAist) - **2026-10-01** — Published: Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race (Los Angeles Times) - **2026-05-17** — Published: Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64 (Los Angeles Daily News) - **2026-05-17** — Daily News editorial board endorsed Ghobadi (Los Angeles Daily News) - **2026-05-14** — Published: Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates) (Los Angeles Daily News (Rafael Perez, SCNG columnist)) - **2026-05-14** — Perez column on Office 64 published (Los Angeles Daily News (Rafael Perez, SCNG columnist)) - **2026-04-22** — Published: LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report (Los Angeles County Bar Association) - **2026-04-22** — LACBA JEEC rated Maria Ghobadi Well Qualified for Office 64 (Los Angeles County Bar Association) - **2026-04-17** — Published: LAist guide to the 2026 primary L.A. Superior Court Judge races (LAist) - **2026-03-03** — Published: Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website) (Maria Ghobadi campaign) - **2026-03-03** — Published: Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64 (Metropolitan News-Enterprise) - **2026-03-03** — MetNews endorsed Ghobadi (Metropolitan News-Enterprise) - **2026-01-07** — Ghobadi's DA performance evaluation issued (Metropolitan News-Enterprise) - **2015** — Ghobadi joined the LA County DA's office (Los Angeles Times) - **2007** — Ghobadi joined the San Joaquin County DA's office (Los Angeles Times) - **2006-06-01** — Ghobadi admitted to the State Bar of California (State Bar of California) ## Sources ### The LA Watchdog's 2026 Voter Guide - CityWatch LA (The LA Watchdog) · endorsement · published 2026-10-15 · stance: support - CityWatch columnist Jack Humphreville ("LA Watchdog"), writing from a fiscal-conservative perspective, lists Ghobadi as his pick for Office 64 without explanation. - One-line recommendation of Ghobadi. ### Confused by the judicial races? Here are our LA County Superior Court endorsements - Los Angeles Daily News · endorsement · published 2026-10-10 · stance: support - The Daily News (SCNG) editorial board's general-election list restates its endorsement of Ghobadi for Office 64, calling her "the clear and competent choice," and says her opponent Haymon has faced criticism from judicial peers about temperament. - Endorses Ghobadi. - Cites her Well Qualified rating, immigrant background and cross-party endorsements. - Board says it surveyed and interviewed all November candidates. - Reference: May 17 endorsement - Reference: Rafael Perez column ### 2026 General Election: Recommendations for L.A. County Superior Court Judges - Colorado Boulevard · endorsement · published 2026-10-09 · stance: neutral - Colorado Boulevard's editorial board lists the Office 64 candidates with their LACBA ratings (Haymon Qualified, Ghobadi Well Qualified). It marks its picks with check marks, which did not survive in the stored text, so the pick cannot be read here. - Lists Haymon (Qualified) and Ghobadi (Well Qualified). - Its recommendation, shown by check marks, is not in the captured text. ### Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges: Who's running in the Nov. 3 election and why it matters - LAist · voter guide · published 2026-10-02 · stance: neutral - LAist's general-election judge guide lists Office 64 as Rhonda A. Haymon, deputy public defender (LACBA: Qualified), vs. Maria Ghobadi, deputy district attorney (LACBA: Well Qualified), with links to campaign sites, endorsement lists and State Bar profiles. The guide says it includes candidates' survey answers, but none for Office 64 appear in the captured text. - Ghobadi: deputy district attorney, LA County; LACBA Well Qualified. - Haymon: deputy public defender, LA County; LACBA Qualified. - Retired Judge Stuart Rice advises voters to weigh LACBA ratings, endorsements, experience and campaign websites. - Reference: LACBA judicial election ratings - Reference: Haymon campaign site - Reference: Haymon State Bar profile - Reference: Ghobadi campaign site - Reference: Ghobadi State Bar profile ### Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: Every competitive race - Los Angeles Times · voter guide · published 2026-10-01 · stance: neutral - LA Times profile of the Office 64 runoff. Ghobadi, rated Well Qualified, fled Iran as a child, prosecuted in San Joaquin County from 2007, prosecuted attorney misconduct for the State Bar, and joined the LA County DA in 2015, including seven years in gang homicide. She reports 87 jury trials (23 homicide) and more than 1,500 preliminary hearings. - San Joaquin County DA's office from 2007 (domestic violence, child abduction units). - State Bar deputy trial counsel prosecuting attorney misconduct. - LA County DA's office since 2015; seven years in gang homicide. - 87 jury trials, 23 homicide; 1,500+ preliminary hearings. - Stated priorities: dignity and effective calendar management. - Reference: LACBA ratings and full report ### Endorsement: Maria Ghobadi for Superior Court Office No. 64 - Los Angeles Daily News · endorsement · published 2026-05-17 · stance: support - The Daily News editorial board endorses Ghobadi as "the only one serious choice" for Office 64, quoting her questionnaire answers on her immigrant background, her judicial hero Shirin Ebadi, and her aim to avoid unnecessary delays. It says both the LA County Democratic and Republican parties back her. - Endorses Ghobadi. - Quotes her on fairness, preparation and "thoughtful listening." - Says she wants to "prevent unnecessary delays to prevent cases and defendants from languishing in the system." - Reports backing from both county Democratic and Republican parties, Stonewall Democratic Club, and the deputy DAs' association. - Reference: Rafael Perez column - Reference: MetNews endorsement with judges' statements ### Rafael Perez: Maria Ghobadi is the responsible choice for judicial office No. 64 (column with interview quotes from both candidates) - Los Angeles Daily News (Rafael Perez, SCNG columnist) · interview · published 2026-05-14 · stance: support - SCNG columnist Rafael Perez interviews Ghobadi and Haymon and favors Ghobadi. He quotes her declining to weigh in on DA Gascón versus DA Hochman, saying she cares whether her cases would look right "regardless of who her boss is," and calls her "extraordinarily careful" in what she says. - Ghobadi says judges' rulings deeply affect communities, defendants and victims, and that her diversity can bring a different perspective. - On Gascón vs. Hochman: "It's kind of irrelevant what my thoughts are." - Perez reads her reticence as fitting the judicial ethics code. - Reference: MetNews assessment - Reference: MetNews 2023 column on Haymon - Reference: MetNews 2023 transcript article ### LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report - Los Angeles County Bar Association · bar evaluation · published 2026-04-22 · stance: neutral - LACBA's Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee final 2026 report rates Maria Ghobadi "Well Qualified" for Office 64; Rhonda Haymon is rated "Qualified" and Francisco Amador "Not Qualified." The report lists ratings only, with no reasons for individual candidates. - Maria Ghobadi: Well Qualified. - Rhonda Haymon: Qualified; Francisco Amador: Not Qualified. - Scale: Exceptionally Well Qualified, Well Qualified, Qualified, Not Qualified. - The 39-member committee says it interviews candidates and contacts their references. ### LAist guide to the 2026 primary L.A. Superior Court Judge races - LAist · voter guide · published 2026-04-17 · stance: neutral - LAist's primary guide lists three Office 64 candidates: Francisco Amador (attorney; LACBA Not Qualified), Maria Ghobadi (deputy DA; Well Qualified) and Rhonda A. Haymon (deputy public defender; Qualified). It notes that Amador did not answer LAist's survey; no answers from Ghobadi or Haymon appear in the captured text. - Three candidates in the primary: Amador, Ghobadi, Haymon. - LACBA ratings: Amador Not Qualified, Ghobadi Well Qualified, Haymon Qualified. - Reference: Ghobadi campaign site - Reference: Haymon campaign site - Reference: Haymon endorsements - Reference: LACBA ratings ### Maria Ghobadi for Judge (campaign website) - Maria Ghobadi campaign · position statement · published 2026-03-03 · stance: support - Ghobadi's campaign homepage ("Public Safety. Equal Justice.") cites 88 jury trials, 24 murder trials, more than 18 years of experience, and her LACBA Well Qualified rating. It lists 75+ judges among a large roster of endorsers: the county Democratic Party, unions, police associations, DAs Hochman, Lacey and Cooley, and several newspapers. - Claims 88 jury trials, 24 murder trials, 1,500+ preliminary hearings. - Says she balances "protecting the public while upholding the constitutional rights of the accused." - Endorsers span prosecutors and some defense lawyers, the LA County Democratic Party, SEIU 721, LAPPL, ALADS, Crime Survivors PAC and LA Forward. - Judges include the criminal division's supervising and assistant supervising judges. - Reference: Daily News endorsement - Reference: MetNews endorsement - Reference: LA Times voter guide - Reference: LACBA JEEC report post ### Maria Ghobadi: Los Angeles Superior Court, Office No. 64 - Metropolitan News-Enterprise · endorsement · published 2026-03-03 · stance: support - The Metropolitan News-Enterprise endorses Ghobadi "with enthusiasm," quoting her January 2026 DA performance evaluation (top rating, "Far Exceeded Expectations") and praise from former DA Steve Cooley and an unnamed judge. - More than 85 jury trials, 21 homicide, in nearly 11 years at the LA DA. - Performance evaluation calls her "the best and brightest of the Gang Homicide Division." - Took a pay cut to join the LA DA at entry level, per a judge quoted. ### Maria Ghobadi for Judge: biography - Maria Ghobadi campaign · position statement · published undated · stance: support - Campaign biography: born in Iran, Ghobadi came to the US at age 5 after the Revolution. She earned a biology BS, held early internships on incarcerated people's rights, prosecuted in Northern California (including domestic violence), worked as a State Bar deputy trial attorney, then joined the LA County DA, where she has spent "over 12 years," seven-plus in gang homicide. - Immigrant from Iran. - Early internships advocated for incarcerated people's rights. - Prosecutor, then State Bar attorney-discipline counsel, then LA deputy DA. - Claims 75+ current and retired judges as endorsers. ### State Bar of California attorney profile: Maria Ghobadi (#242945) - State Bar of California · other · published undated · stance: not_applicable - State Bar license record for Maria Lisa Ghobadi (#242945): active, admitted June 1, 2006, law school McGeorge (University of the Pacific), address LA District Attorney's Office. No discipline or administrative actions listed. - Active license; admitted 2006-06-01. - No disciplinary history shown. ### County bar groups issue mixed ratings on judicial candidates - Daily Journal · news · published undated · stance: neutral - ## Suggested use Ask me neutral questions about this subject using the material above. Distinguish what the sources say from your own background knowledge, cite the source titles you rely on, and say when information may be out of date given the dates shown.