attorney14 sources, dated 2026-03-03 – 2026-10-15· last searched 2026-10-28
candidate in the runoff for Los Angeles County Superior Court Office 64
Overview
Synthesized 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session from 13 sources dated 2026-03-03 to 2026-10-15. Machine-written; numbers link to the sources below.
Maria Ghobadi, a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney, faces deputy public defender Rhonda A. Haymon in the Office 64 runoff 5,4. LACBA rated her Well Qualified; it rated Haymon Qualified 8. 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 5,12. She reports 87 to 88 jury trials (23 to 24 homicide) 5,10. Her license is active with no discipline listed 13. Endorsers include the Daily News, MetNews, 75+ judges, three DAs (Hochman, Lacey, Cooley), the county Democratic Party, unions and police associations 10,11,6,2. The Daily News also reports county Republican Party backing 6. Praise centers on preparation and temperament 11,7,6. No source criticizing her was found. Her own words are limited to campaign copy and interview excerpts in a supportive column 12,10,7.
Record
Admitted to the State Bar in 2006. License active, no discipline listed.13
Prosecutor in San Joaquin County from 2007 (domestic violence, child abduction units), then State Bar deputy trial counsel prosecuting attorney misconduct.5,12
LA County deputy DA since 2015, including seven-plus years in the Gang Homicide Division.5,12
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.11,5,10
January 2026 DA performance evaluation: top rating, "Far Exceeded Expectations (Outstanding)," as quoted by MetNews.11
Presents herself as balancing public protection with "the constitutional rights of the accused."10
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).7
Says she would aim for "measured and balanced" outcomes and to keep cases from "languishing in the system" (May 2026).6
Lists dignity and effective calendar management as priorities.5
Praise & support
Deep trial and homicide experience and an outstanding performance review. — Metropolitan News-Enterprise11
Temperament and care in speech suited to the bench; a "pristine reputation." — Rafael Perez (SCNG), Los Angeles Daily News editorial board7,6,2
Broad support from judges, prosecutors, some defense lawyers, and across party lines. — Los Angeles Daily News editorial board, Maria Ghobadi campaign6,2,10
Respected by the defense bar and bench officers. — Unnamed judge quoted by MetNews, Jason Sanabria, Alternate Public Defender11,10
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.12,2,5,11
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.6,10
What we could not find
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).
Questions to consider
How would nearly two decades as a prosecutor shape her handling of defense motions and sentencing?
Which of her trial counts is current, and what were the outcomes?
What do defense attorneys beyond those her campaign lists say about her?
Does the county Republican Party in fact endorse her?
Analysis of their legal writing and words
Written 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session from 3 primary texts7,10,12. An evaluative machine reading: check each point against its quoted evidence.
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.
In their words: A career prosecutor and immigrant from Iran running under "Public Safety. Equal Justice." (S2). The campaign says she "brings the experience, temperament, and work ethic the role demands" (S3), and she says her "diversity and my different way of looking at things" would shape her impact (S1).
Articulation: Not enough evidenceConsistency: Not enough evidence
Articulation. 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. 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.
Positions
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”72026-05-14
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”72026-05-14
“regardless of who her boss is, that was the right outcome”72026-05-14
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.”102026-03-03
Stated principles (2)
Outcomes should be defensible on their own merits, apart from office politics
“regardless of who her boss is, that was the right outcome”72026-05-14
Equal treatment and service to victims
“a lifelong commitment to public service and equal treatment for all”12
“giving a voice to the voiceless in our communities and courtrooms”102026-03-03
Notable rhetoric
Uses precise experience figures (88 jury trials, 24 murder trials, 1,500+ preliminary hearings) without naming any case (S2).
Avoids stating policy views; the columnist reads this as judicial caution (S1).
Leans on endorsements and testimonials more than her own statements (S2).
Limits: 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.
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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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Ghobadi occupation
Deputy district attorney, County of Los Angeles
Ghobadi LACBA
Well Qualified
Haymon occupation
Deputy public defender, County of Los Angeles
Haymon LACBA
Qualified
Retired Judge Stuart Rice says proper judicial demeanor is what matters most in a candidate.
LAist notes that past candidates have raised fairness concerns about the LACBA process.
Limits: A directory entry, not an assessment. Survey answers, if any, were not captured.
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.
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Ghobadi LACBA
Well Qualified
Haymon LACBA
Qualified
Amador LACBA
Not Qualified
Limits: Primary-era directory entry. Survey answers were not captured.
Los Angeles County Bar Associationbar evaluationNeutral
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Maria Ghobadi rating
Well Qualified
Rhonda Haymon rating
Qualified
Francisco Amador rating
Not Qualified
Issued
2026-04-22 (for the June 2 primary)
The committee says its members are a cross-section of the legal community, including prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, with extensive courtroom experience.
Limits: Gives the rating only, not the reasons. A private bar association's opinion, issued before the primary.
Date stated in the document. Summary written 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session. Link checked 2026-10-28.
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.
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Tenure at LA DA claimed
over 12 years
Gang Homicide
more than seven years
The campaign says she brings "the experience, temperament, and work ethic the role demands."
Limits: Self-presentation. Its "over 12 years" at the LA DA does not match the LA Times's 2015 start date or MetNews's "nearly 11 years."
Summary written 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session. Link checked 2026-10-28.
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Recommendation
Maria Ghobadi, Office 64
Limits: A single columnist's list, with no reasoning on this race.
Date stated in the document. Summary written 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session. Link checked 2026-10-28.
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Endorsement
Maria Lisa Ghobadi, Office 64
The board credits Ghobadi with "judicial temperament, measured approach to case management, and commitment to preventing unnecessary court delays."
The board says it found Ghobadi's broad cross-party endorsements telling.
Limits: An editorial board's opinion, restating its May endorsement. It describes her experience as "nearly two decades" with the LA DA's office, which other sources do not support (she joined in 2015).
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Haymon LACBA
Qualified
Ghobadi LACBA
Well Qualified
The board says it recommended one candidate where it found significant differences in experience and courtroom readiness.
Limits: The pick is not recoverable from the text. Ghobadi's campaign lists the paper as an endorser. The page labels Haymon "Deputy District Defender."
Date stated in the document. Summary written 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session. Link checked 2026-10-28.
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Endorsers reported
LA County Democratic Party; LA County Republican Party; Stonewall Democratic Club; LA Association of Deputy District Attorneys
Judicial hero
Shirin Ebadi
Ghobadi told the board her career as a prosecutor "reinforced the importance of preparation, professionalism, and thoughtful listening."
The board says she has "the experience, sensibilities and temperament one would hope to see from someone on the bench."
Limits: An endorsement. The candidate's quotes are questionnaire answers selected by the board.
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Jury trials
85+ (21 homicide)
Performance rating
Far Exceeded Expectations (Outstanding), Jan. 7, 2026
An unnamed judge says she is "well-respected by colleagues, the defense bar, and bench officers."
Steve Cooley says she "enjoys a good reputation."
Limits: A strongly opinionated editorial. The performance-evaluation excerpts were chosen by the paper, and the judge it quotes is unnamed.
Date stated in the document. Summary written 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session. Link checked 2026-10-28.
Los Angeles Daily News (Rafael Perez, SCNG columnist)interviewSupports
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Format
Opinion column built on interview quotes
Ghobadi LACBA
Well Qualified
Perez says Ghobadi avoided prejudging abstract cases or making sweeping claims about judicial approaches.
Perez says MetNews sources had "nothing but praise" for Ghobadi's professionalism.
Limits: An advocacy column. Quotes are excerpts the columnist chose and edited with ellipses.
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.
Facts, claims & caveats
Bar number
242945
Status
Active
Admitted
2006-06-01
Law school
McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific
Discipline
None listed
Limits: Shows only public license and discipline status, not performance.
Summary written 2026-10-29 in an operator-run Claude session. Link checked 2026-10-28.