The Defenders of Justice are four progressive judges -- three public defenders and a civil rights attorney -- who have committed their careers to connecting clients with support services and alternatives to incarceration.
ANNA SLOTKY
REITANO Seat 60
ELIZABETH LASHLEY-HAYNES Seat 67
HOLLY
HANCOCK Seat 70
CAROLYN
JIYOUNG
PARK Seat 67
1
Los Angeles County has never elected a public defender to become a judge.
Our judicial bench should reflect people of diverse legal backgrounds, especially attorneys who have experience working within our communities and courts, like public defenders. Public defenders and civil rights lawyers have seen the ways that our current judicial system fails multiple parties.
2
We need more values-oriented lawyers as our local judges.
This looks like judges who will connect people to resources and services, support them in the difficult processes of custody, civil disputes, traffic laws, and more. Judges who are not beholden to police unions will also be more fair and transparent on the bench.
3
We need judges who will not limit the rights of women.
Judges all have to start somewhere, but their careers can reach our highest courts in the nations. Choosing judges who will not impede the rights of women and other groups is vital to ensuring that collective rights are not jeopardized in the court of law.
4
The Defenders of Justice are changing the way we look at judicial elections.
Before these four attorneys decided to run for judge, judicial elections in LA County were categorically low-information. Often, people didn’t know anything about those candidates, so they left it blank. If they did research, looking up candidates would lead to dead ends, leaving folks feeling more confused. Voters also had limited options because candidates were typically former prosecutors. Now, voters not only have options, but are able to learn more about the types of attorneys running to become judges.
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Ad paid for by Justice PAC by La Defensa, a Project of Tides Advocacy 4 Hancock, Lashley-Haynes, Reitano & Park for Judge 2022. Committee major funding from: La Defensa, a project of Tides Advocacy Progressive Era PAC Smart Justice California Action Fund