Page 1
Deputy District Attorney Who Lost Race for Open Seat Last Year to Run Again
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Deputy District Attorney Leslie Gutierrez on Thursday hopped in the race for Los Angeles Superior Court Office No. 130, meaning that Orange County attorney Christopher Darden, a prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, now has three rivals.
Last year, Gutierrez lost in a run-off with then-Deputy District Attorney Melissa Lyons, receiving 40.4 percent of the votes.
Gutierrez, who earned her law degree at Southwestern, was admitted to the State Bar in 2011.
Criminal defense attorney Michael Berg, who on Nov. 6 filed declarations for Offices 39 and 93, on Thursday filed a declaration for Office No. 137.
Wednesday was the last day for judges and challengers to file declarations of intent and today is the deadline to file a declaration for open seats. Today is also the opening day for taking out and for filing nominating petitions and the last day is Dec. 8, with a five-day extension if an incumbent who filed a declaration of intent does not file a nominating petition.
The primary is March 5 but ballots will be mailed out by Feb. 5 and vote centers will open Feb. 24.
As the result of ballots being cast at varying times, slate mailers—which had in past election years arrived in the mail right before voting at the polls—have been rendered largely ineffective, with the attractiveness of candidates’ names and the strength of their ballot designations gaining in significance, and Los Angeles Times endorsements regaining weight.
Here is the line-up of candidates as of press time Thursday.
Office No. 12 (held by Judge Lynn D. Olson): Judge Lynn D. Olson, Deputy Public Defender Rhonda Antoinette Haymon.
Office No. 39 (held by Judge Philip L. Soto): criminal defense attorney Michael Berg.
Office No. 48 (held by Judge Margaret Miller Bernal): private practitioner Malik C. Burroughs, Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose, and Deputy Public Defender Ericka J. Wiley.
Office No. 93 (held by Judge Malcolm Mackey): Deputy District Attorney Victor Avila, criminal defense attorney Michael Berg.
Office No. 97 (held by Judge Craig Mitchell): Deputy District Attorney Sam Abourched, private practitioner La Shae Henderson.
Office No. 115 (held by Judge Mel Red Recana): Deputy District Attorneys Christmas Brookens and Keith Koyano.
Office No. 124 (held by Judge Emily Theresa Spear): Judge Emily Theresa Spear, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Repecka.
Office No. 130 (held by Judge Brian C. Yep): Private practitioners D. Carlos Dammeier and Christopher Darden and Deputy District Attorneys Leslie Gutierrez and Jacob Lee.
Office No. 135 (held by Judge Cary Nishimoto): attorney Mohammad Ali Fakhreddine, Deputy District Attorneys Georgia Huerta and Steven Yee Mac, and private practitioner Eric Jeffrey Youngquist.
Office No. 137 (held by Judge Dianna Gould-Saltman): criminal defense attorney Michael Berg, law school Associate Dean Luz E. Herrera, Deputy District Attorney Jacob Lee.
Copyright 2023, Metropolitan News Company