# Justin Allen Clayton *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 12 sources) Justin Allen Clayton, a Los Angeles County deputy public defender admitted to the bar in 2012, has run the office's Inglewood branch since 2023 [State Bar of California attorney profile: Justin Allen Clayton (#283282); Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election]. He faces Anna Slotky Reitano 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]. He says he has handled more than 1,000 adult cases and dozens of trials, three involving life sentences [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]. His stated priorities are court efficiency and firm, fair deadlines [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]. MetNews praised him but endorsed a primary rival on "gut instinct" [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)]; one blogger called the runoff a coin toss and picked Reitano [November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices]. His own published words are thin: the captured campaign site holds a slogan [Justin Clayton for Judge 2026 (campaign website)]. ### Record highlights - Admitted to the State Bar June 6, 2012; license active, no public discipline [S1]. [State Bar of California attorney profile: Justin Allen Clayton (#283282)] - Deputy in charge of the Public Defender's Inglewood branch since 2023, still handling arraignments and hearings and training attorneys [S9, S12]. [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] - Reports more than 1,000 adult and hundreds of juvenile cases, and dozens of trials including three with life sentences (his figures, as reported) [S9, S12]. [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] - 2024-25 office evaluation, quoted by MetNews, praised his leadership and calm but rated him overall "competent," down from "very good" [S5]. [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)] - Rated Qualified by the LACBA JEEC, April 2026 [S8]. [LACBA Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee: Full 2026 report] ### Stated positions - Would improve efficiency through clear calendaring, pretrial preparation and "firm but fair" deadline enforcement, and encourage settlement to cut delays while protecting each litigant's right to be heard (May and Oct. 2026) [S9, S12]. [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] - Stresses clear communication across language and cultural differences, especially for unrepresented litigants (Oct. 2026) [S12]. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] - Quoted as wanting to add a non-prosecutor "perspective" to a bench drawn largely from prosecutors (quote unsourced) [S11]. [November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices] ### Where sources disagree - Length of public-defender service: "11.5 years" per a blog [S11]; joined two years after his 2012 admission per the LA Times [S12]; "a decade" in an earlier LA Times guide [S9]. [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court judge elections: every competitive race; 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. - No court filings, briefs or named cases. - Campaign site text is a slogan only. - No campaign-finance records. - No organizational endorsements visible. ### Arguments for / praise - Intelligent, articulate, succinct, with ideal judicial temperament; expected to be an outstanding judge. — *Metropolitan News-Enterprise* [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)] - Endorsed by 17 current or retired judges, the county Public Defender and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. — *Clayton campaign* [Justin Clayton for Judge: Endorsements] - Leadership of a branch office plus 14 years of trial work gives a comprehensive view of the courtroom. — *Justin Allen Clayton* [Your guide to the L.A. County Superior Court Judge Office 65 election] ### Arguments against / criticism - Endorsed a primary rival over him, though for no stated reason beyond instinct; also noted a non-ABA-accredited law school and a lower latest office rating. — *Metropolitan News-Enterprise* [MetNews editorial on Office 65 primary (Jimenez endorsement)] - Found his endorsements not strong enough to prefer him over Reitano, whose list is broader. — *Daniel Faigin (cahighways.org)* [November 2026 General Election Ballot Analysis (IV): Judicial Offices] ## Analysis of their own words (as of 2026-10-29) Coverage: One sample: the home page of Clayton's campaign website (S1, undated, about 450 characters captured), a slogan and one sentence. No questionnaire answers, interviews, debate or forum transcripts, briefs, or case filings were found. LAist's candidate survey answers were not captured. insufficient_evidence. The sample states no legal philosophy, interpretive method, or position on any legal issue beyond a general commitment to fair and accessible courts. Articulation: **insufficient_evidence**. Two sentences of campaign copy cannot show clarity, command of facts, or reasoning. No unscripted speech was available. Consistency: **insufficient_evidence**. A single undated sample allows no comparison across time or settings. - Court access: Courts should be fair and accessible to all residents. - "keep Los Angeles courts fair and accessible for every resident" [Justin Clayton for Judge 2026 (campaign website)] (undated) Limitations: Based on a tiny scripted sample. Statements he gave to the LA Times and others are reported in news guides but are not his own texts and are not analyzed here. Nothing here shows how he 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 Justin Clayton 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) - **2012-06-06** — 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 between two former/current public defenders, both rated Qualified by LACBA. It describes Justin Allen Clayton as a Los Angeles native who passed the bar in 2012, joined the public defender's office two years later, and since 2023 has been deputy in charge of the Inglewood branch, a "working supervisor" who handles arraignments and hearings and trains attorneys. It quotes him on court efficiency, deadline enforcement, and communication across language and cultural differences, especially for unrepresented litigants. - Clayton is rated Qualified by LACBA, as is his opponent. - He has completed dozens of trials, including three with life sentences, according to his website. - He names pretrial preparation and "firm but fair enforcement of deadlines" as priorities. - He says campaigning showed him the importance of communication across language and cultural differences: "Sometimes, one additional question, or one additional statement, can make all the difference in resolving an issue." - He says branch leadership plus 14 years as a trial attorney uniquely prepared him. ### 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 Justin Clayton as an 11.5-year deputy public defender, quotes him saying he wants to add a non-prosecutor "perspective" to the bench, reprints MetNews's praise of him, and calls the race a coin toss between two good candidates before choosing his opponent, Reitano. - Calls Clayton and Reitano both good; picks Reitano. - Quotes MetNews: Clayton is "intelligent, articulate, succinct," with ideal temperament. - Notes Clayton's endorsements are mainly Democratic clubs, affinity groups and judges. - Reference: LACBA 2026 ratings announcement - Reference: MetNews Office 65 primary editorial - Reference: MetNews law-degree chart - Reference: Clayton 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 Justin Allen Clayton as a deputy public defender for the County of Los Angeles, links his campaign website (claytonforjudge2026.com), endorsement page and State Bar profile, and reports his LACBA rating as Qualified. The rest of the page is general advice on evaluating judicial candidates. - Clayton: deputy public defender, County of Los Angeles; LACBA rating Qualified. - His opponent, Anna Slotky Reitano, is also rated Qualified. - LAist recommends voters weigh LACBA ratings, endorsements, experience and candidate websites. - No Clayton 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 Justin Allen Clayton, a public defender licensed in 2012, has handled more than 1,000 adult and hundreds of juvenile cases, and since 2023 has been deputy in charge of the Inglewood branch; he would improve efficiency through clear calendaring and firm, fair deadlines and by encouraging settlement discussions. - Clayton describes himself as a "working supervisor" who still conducts arraignments and hearings. - He trains attorneys on case preparation, trial strategy and competency to stand trial. - Priorities: clear calendaring, firm and fair deadline enforcement, meaningful settlement discussions. - Opponents in the primary were Chellei G. Jimenez, Samuel Wolloch Krause and Anna Slotky Reitano. ### 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 Justin Clayton "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. - Justin Clayton: 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 Justin Allen Clayton 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 Justin Allen Clayton, identified as a deputy public defender for the County of Los Angeles, with links to his website and State Bar profile. - Clayton was one of four Office 65 primary candidates. - All four, including Clayton, were rated Qualified by LACBA. - No survey response from Clayton 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. It praises Justin Allen Clayton, deputy in charge of the public defender's Inglewood branch, as intelligent, articulate and temperamentally ideal, quotes his office evaluation praising his leadership and calm, notes his overall rating fell from "very good" to "competent," and predicts he would be an outstanding judge, but endorses Chellei Jimenez over him on "gut instinct." - Calls Clayton worthy of a judgeship. - His evaluation says he "is adept at defusing tense situations" and treats everyone with courtesy. - Notes his website then listed no endorsements. - Endorsed Jimenez, who was eliminated in the primary. ### 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 Clayton: Thomas Jefferson, 2012; ballot designation Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles County. MetNews endorsed no one in the final Office 65 field. - Clayton: Thomas Jefferson, 2012; ballot designation Deputy Public Defender, Los Angeles County ### State Bar of California attorney profile: Justin Allen Clayton (#283282) - State Bar of California · other · published undated · stance: not_applicable - State Bar of California profile for Justin Allen Clayton (#283282): active license, admitted June 6, 2012, no discipline or administrative actions listed, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, criminal-law practice, address at the L.A. County Public Defender. - Active, no public discipline. - Admitted 2012. ### Justin Clayton for Judge 2026 (campaign website) - Clayton for Judge 2026 · position statement · published undated · stance: support - Home page of Justin Allen Clayton's campaign site. The stored text holds only a slogan ("Proven in the courtroom, ready for the bench.") and one sentence about keeping Los Angeles courts "fair and accessible for every resident." - Slogan stresses courtroom experience. - No biography, priorities or case history in the captured text. ### Justin Clayton for Judge: Endorsements - Clayton for Judge 2026 · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - Clayton campaign endorsement list: 17 current or retired judges and a commissioner, plus his office's head (Public Defender Ricardo D. García), Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, several local council members, deputy public defenders and two listed prosecutors. Titles are for identification only. An "Organizations" heading appears with no names under it in the stored text. - Strong showing among sitting judges. - Endorsed by the county Public Defender and Supervisor Horvath. - No organizational endorsements visible. ### 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.