# Anna Slotky *legal · Superior Court Judge, Office 65 · 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 2026-02-26 to 2026-10-20. ## Overview (as of 2026-10-29, from 11 sources) Anna Slotky Reitano, admitted to the bar in 2009, spent about a decade as a Los Angeles County deputy public defender, including juvenile felony work, and since 2024 has been a deputy county counsel supervising civil litigation [State Bar of California attorney profile: Anna Slotky Reitano (#263383); Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race; Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election]. She faces Justin Allen Clayton in the Office 65 runoff; LACBA rated both, and every primary candidate in the race, Qualified [LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report; Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges: Who's running in the Nov. 3 election and why it matters]. She emphasizes mental-health diversion, access to justice and breadth across criminal, juvenile and civil law [Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge (campaign website); Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race; Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election]. She lost a 2022 judicial race [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election]. MetNews criticized that 2022 slate campaign and her ballot designation [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)]; a blogger called those objections pedantic and picked her [November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices]. ### Record highlights - Admitted to the State Bar June 4, 2009; license active, no public discipline [S2]. [State Bar of California attorney profile: Anna Slotky Reitano (#263383)] - Joined the Public Defender in 2014: three years in juvenile court, mostly felonies, and five years on felonies at the San Fernando Courthouse [S11]. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] - Joined the County Counsel's Justice and Safety Division in May 2024; supervises litigation and advises county departments [S8, S11]. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race; Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] - Ran in 2022 on the "Defenders of Justice" slate and lost [S4, S11]. [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement); Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] - In 2026 the Registrar struck "Justice and Safety Division" from her requested ballot designation [S4]. [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)] - Rated Qualified by the LACBA JEEC, April 2026 [S7]. [LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report] ### Stated positions - Focused on mental-health diversion and treatment for amenable clients, informed by a brother with schizophrenia (2026) [S8, S11]. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race; Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] - Would enhance access to justice through clear communication and consistent interpreter availability (May 2026) [S8]. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race] - Campaign says a judge should be impartial, treat everyone with dignity and "Apply the law- not ideology" [S1]. [Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge (campaign website)] ### Where sources disagree - Current job: a blog says she works as a public defender [S10]; LAist and the LA Times say deputy county counsel [S9, S11]. [Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges: Who's running in the Nov. 3 election and why it matters; November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices; Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] ### Gaps - No questionnaire answers, interviews or forum transcripts; LAist's survey answers were not captured. - Her endorsement list was not captured (page returned the home page). - No court filings, briefs or named cases. - No 2022 campaign materials in her own words. - No campaign-finance records. ### Arguments for / praise - Experience across criminal, juvenile, civil and government law gives breadth for any assignment. — *Anna Slotky Reitano, Reitano campaign* [Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge (campaign website); Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] - Has broader endorsements, including newspapers and elected leaders; MetNews's objections are pedantic. — *Daniel Faigin (cahighways.org)* [November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices] - Has admirable determination and would serve conscientiously. — *Metropolitan News-Enterprise* [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)] ### Arguments against / criticism - Her 2022 run on a slate organized by a left-wing funding group, with no campaign of her own, undermines confidence in her independence. — *Metropolitan News-Enterprise* [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)] - Relied on a non-lawyer consultant for an improper ballot designation; likely to defer to others rather than judge independently. — *Metropolitan News-Enterprise* [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)] ## Analysis of their own words (as of 2026-10-29) Coverage: One sample: the home page of Reitano's campaign website (S1, undated, about 2,900 characters), written in the third person. No questionnaire answers, interviews, debate or forum transcripts, briefs, or case filings were found. LAist's candidate survey answers and her endorsement page were not captured. insufficient_evidence for a legal philosophy. The page stresses constitutional fairness, due process and impartiality, and says a judge should "Apply the law- not ideology," but states no interpretive method or position on contested legal questions. Articulation: **insufficient_evidence**. The page is clearly organized and specific about her career path (public defender, juvenile defense, county counsel), but it is promotional copy, names no cases, and offers no reasoning on legal questions. No unscripted speech was available. Consistency: **insufficient_evidence**. A single undated sample allows no comparison across time or settings. - Judicial role: Judges should decide impartially and apply the law rather than ideology. - "Apply the law- not ideology" [Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge (campaign website)] (undated) - "Make thoughtful, impartial decisions" [Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge (campaign website)] (undated) - Breadth of experience: A judge should know more than one area of law. - "A judge should understand more than one area of the law." [Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge (campaign website)] (undated) Limitations: Based on one scripted campaign page. Statements she gave to the LA Times are reported in news guides but are not her own texts and are not analyzed here. Nothing here shows how she would rule. ## Timeline (newest first) - **2026-10-20** — Published: Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election (Los Angeles Times) - **2026-10-07** — Published: November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices (cahighways.org (Daniel Faigin)) - **2026-10-02** — Published: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges: Who's running in the Nov. 3 election and why it matters (LAist) - **2026-05-01** — Published: Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race (Los Angeles Times) - **2026-04-22** — Published: LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report (Los Angeles County Bar Association) - **2026-04-22** — LACBA JEEC rates Anna S. Reitano Qualified for Office 65 (Los Angeles County Bar Association) - **2026-04-20** — Published: LAist: LA County Bar Association ratings of 2026 Superior Court judicial candidates (LAist) - **2026-04-17** — Published: LAist guide to the 2026 primary L.A. Superior Court Judge races (LAist) - **2026-04-07** — Published: MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement) (Metropolitan News-Enterprise) - **2026-04-07** — MetNews endorses Jimenez in the Office 65 primary (Metropolitan News-Enterprise) - **2026-02-26** — Published: MetNews chart: 2026 judicial candidates' law degree information (Metropolitan News-Enterprise) - **2024-05** — Reitano joins the county counsel's Justice and Safety Division (Los Angeles Times) - **2024** — Reitano assumes her position in the county counsel's justice and safety division (Los Angeles Times) - **2023** — Clayton becomes deputy in charge of the public defender's Inglewood branch (Los Angeles Times) - **2023** — Clayton becomes deputy in charge of the Inglewood branch (he says) (Los Angeles Times) - **2022** — Reitano loses a campaign for a judgeship (Los Angeles Times) - **2022** — Reitano loses a run for a judicial seat (Los Angeles Times) - **2014** — Reitano joins the L.A. County public defender's office (Los Angeles Times) - **2009-06-04** — Admitted to the State Bar of California (State Bar of California) ## Sources ### Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election - Los Angeles Times · voter guide · published 2026-10-20 · stance: neutral - Los Angeles Times race guide (Jon Regardie, Oct. 20, 2026) for the Office 65 runoff, in which both candidates have public-defender backgrounds and are rated Qualified by LACBA. It says Anna Slotky Reitano began in criminal defense, contract law and other sectors, joined the L.A. County public defender's office in 2014 (three years in juvenile court, five at the San Fernando Courthouse on felonies), focused on mental-health diversion and treatment, lost a 2022 judicial race, and in 2024 joined the county counsel's justice and safety division, where she supervises litigation and advises county departments. - Reitano is rated Qualified by LACBA, as is her opponent. - She focused on mental health diversion and treatment, informed by a brother with schizophrenia. - She lost a 2022 judicial campaign. - She is a former child actor, volunteers with local schools, and mentors through moot court, per her website as reported. - She says voters want "a judge who is experienced, prepared, fair and willing to listen." ### November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices - cahighways.org (Daniel Faigin) · voter guide · published 2026-10-07 · stance: support - A personal ballot-analysis blog (Daniel Faigin) covering the Office 65 runoff. It profiles Anna Slotky Reitano (former child actor in The Torkelsons, UC Davis JD, admitted 2009), reprints MetNews's criticism of her 2022 slate campaign and ballot designation, dismisses that criticism as pedantic, and picks her while calling the race a coin toss. - Picks Reitano, citing her broader endorsements; calls both candidates good. - Rejects MetNews's objections to her 2022 "Defenders of Justice" slate and ballot designation. - Describes her as a public defender, which conflicts with other sources listing her as deputy county counsel. - Reference: LACBA 2026 ratings announcement - Reference: MetNews Office 65 primary editorial - Reference: MetNews law-degree chart - Reference: Reitano campaign website ### 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 guide to the four L.A. County Superior Court runoffs. Its Office 65 entry lists Anna Slotky Reitano as a deputy county counsel for the County of Los Angeles, links her campaign website (reitanoforjudge.com), endorsement page and State Bar profile, and reports her LACBA rating as Qualified. The rest of the page is general advice on evaluating judicial candidates. - Reitano: deputy county counsel, County of Los Angeles; LACBA rating Qualified. - Her opponent, Justin Allen Clayton, is also rated Qualified. - LAist recommends voters weigh LACBA ratings, endorsements, experience and candidate websites. - No Reitano survey answers are visible in the stored text. - Reference: Clayton campaign website - Reference: Clayton endorsements page - Reference: Clayton State Bar profile - Reference: Reitano campaign website - Reference: Reitano endorsements page - Reference: Reitano State Bar profile - Reference: Secretary of State alphabet draw for Nov. 2026 ballot order ### Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race - Los Angeles Times · voter guide · published 2026-05-01 · stance: neutral - Los Angeles Times primary guide (May 1, 2026) to every competitive L.A. Superior Court race. Its Office 65 section profiles four Qualified-rated candidates. It says Anna Slotky Reitano, admitted in 2009, worked over 10 years in the public defender's office (three years juvenile, five years adult felony trials), joined the county counsel's Justice and Safety Division in May 2024, would prioritize trust in the legal system and access to justice through clear communication and interpreters, and lost a 2022 judicial run. - Reitano says she focused on mental-health diversion and treatment for amenable clients. - She cites experience in defense, prosecution and civil litigation. - She aims to improve access to justice via communication and interpreter availability. - Her approach, she says, is informed by a brother with schizophrenia. ### LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report - Los Angeles County Bar Association · bar evaluation · published 2026-04-22 · stance: neutral - The LA County Bar Association Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee's final 2026 report. It rates Anna S. Reitano "Qualified" for Office 65, the same rating given to all four primary candidates in that race. Several other 2026 candidates received Well Qualified or higher. - Anna S. Reitano: Qualified. - Every Office 65 candidate received the same rating. - The report gives no reasons for individual ratings. ### LAist: LA County Bar Association ratings of 2026 Superior Court judicial candidates - LAist · bar evaluation · published 2026-04-20 · stance: neutral - LAist explainer (April 2026, updated July 2026) on how the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee rates Superior Court candidates. It does not mention Anna Slotky Reitano or Office 65; it is useful only as background on what a LACBA rating (such as the "Qualified" rating other sources report for this candidate) means. - LACBA is a voluntary, private bar association, separate from the State Bar. - Candidates submit a detailed questionnaire and 50 to 75 references; committee members interview at least 25 people per candidate, then the candidate. - Ratings are individual, not comparative among candidates for the same seat. - "Qualified" requires a majority of voting members and means the candidate has the qualities to serve as a satisfactory judge. - Candidates rated Qualified or Not Qualified may appeal; reasons for ratings are not made public. - Reference: LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee page - Reference: LAist guide to the L.A. Superior Court judge races (primary) - Reference: LAist guide to the Nov. 3 Superior Court judge races - Reference: LAist 2024 report on candidate concerns about LACBA rating fairness ### LAist guide to the 2026 primary L.A. Superior Court Judge races - LAist · voter guide · published 2026-04-17 · stance: neutral - LAist's guide to the June 2, 2026 primary for L.A. County Superior Court. In Office 65 it lists four candidates, all rated Qualified by LACBA, including Anna Slotky Reitano, identified as a deputy county counsel for the County of Los Angeles, with links to her website and State Bar profile. - Reitano was one of four Office 65 primary candidates. - All four, including Reitano, were rated Qualified by LACBA. - No survey response from Reitano is visible in the stored text. - Reference: Clayton campaign website - Reference: Clayton State Bar profile - Reference: Reitano campaign website - Reference: Reitano State Bar profile ### MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement) - Metropolitan News-Enterprise · third party analysis · published 2026-04-07 · stance: mixed - Metropolitan News-Enterprise primary editorial on Office 65 that endorses Chellei Jimenez and is sharply critical of Anna Slotky Reitano. It credits her determination and conscientiousness but faults her 2022 run on the "Defenders of Justice" slate, which it says was run by a left-wing funding group, and her attempt to add "Justice and Safety Division" to her ballot designation on a consultant's advice. It concludes she might function adequately but would likely defer to others rather than judge independently. - Says she did not run her own 2022 campaign. - Accepts that she personally took no extremist stances. - Registrar struck part of her requested ballot designation. - Questions her independent judgment. ### MetNews chart: 2026 judicial candidates' law degree information - Metropolitan News-Enterprise · other · published 2026-02-26 · stance: not_applicable - MetNews reference chart of 2026 L.A. Superior Court candidates listing ballot designation, law school and admission year. It lists Reitano: University of California, Davis, 2009. MetNews endorsed no one in the final Office 65 field. - Reitano: University of California, Davis, 2009 ### Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge: Endorsements - Reitano for Judge · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - Home page of Anna Slotky Reitano's campaign site. It casts her as a trial-tested, balanced candidate with experience on "every side" of the justice system: DA's-office law clerk, representing public-safety employees, over a decade as a deputy public defender (three years defending children), and now a deputy county counsel supervising civil litigation and advising justice and safety departments. It argues breadth of experience makes for impartial, efficient, respectful judging. - Claims thousands of clients and complex trials. - Says constitutional fairness is the foundation of every decision. - Lists judicial goals: impartial decisions, dignity for all, efficient courtroom, "Apply the law- not ideology." ### Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge (campaign website) - Reitano for Judge · position statement · published undated · stance: support - Home page of Anna Slotky Reitano's campaign site. It casts her as a trial-tested, balanced candidate with experience on "every side" of the justice system: DA's-office law clerk, representing public-safety employees, over a decade as a deputy public defender (three years defending children), and now a deputy county counsel supervising civil litigation and advising justice and safety departments. It argues breadth of experience makes for impartial, efficient, respectful judging. - Claims thousands of clients and complex trials. - Says constitutional fairness is the foundation of every decision. - Lists judicial goals: impartial decisions, dignity for all, efficient courtroom, "Apply the law- not ideology." ### Anna Slotky Reitano for Judge: Endorsements - Reitano for Judge · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - Home page of Anna Slotky Reitano's campaign site. It casts her as a trial-tested, balanced candidate with experience on "every side" of the justice system: DA's-office law clerk, representing public-safety employees, over a decade as a deputy public defender (three years defending children), and now a deputy county counsel supervising civil litigation and advising justice and safety departments. It argues breadth of experience makes for impartial, efficient, respectful judging. - Claims thousands of clients and complex trials. - Says constitutional fairness is the foundation of every decision. - Lists judicial goals: impartial decisions, dignity for all, efficient courtroom, "Apply the law- not ideology." ### County bar groups issue mixed ratings on judicial candidates - Daily Journal · news · published undated · stance: neutral - ### State Bar of California attorney profile: Anna Slotky Reitano (#263383) - State Bar of California · other · published undated · stance: not_applicable - State Bar of California profile for Anna RS Reitano (aka Anna Slotky, #263383): active license, admitted June 4, 2009, no discipline or administrative actions listed, UC Davis law school, government practice, address at L.A. County Counsel. - Active, no public discipline. - Admitted 2009. ## 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.