David Dejute, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Harvard Law graduate, is running for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 87. The nonpartisan seat appears on the Nov. 3, 2026, California general election ballot.
Anthony Bayne is the other certified candidate in the race.
The court serves Los Angeles County residents, including those in Santa Monica. Superior Court judges preside over cases at the trial level in California's court system.
Candidate information
- Name: David Dejute
- Office sought: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 87
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Education: Juris doctor from Harvard Law School
Experience and public service
Dejute spent more than a decade as a federal prosecutor. He served as an assistant U.S. attorney for more than 11 years before resigning on June 30, 2017, according to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise.
During that tenure, he argued before the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2011 on behalf of the federal government in Drake v. Obama. The case challenged President Obama's legitimacy as a reelection candidate based on claims he was not a natural-born citizen. Dejute successfully defended Obama in both the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit, according to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise.
This is not Dejute's first pursuit of a judicial seat. He filed a declaration of intent for a Los Angeles Superior Court seat in 2018 but did not file nominating papers. He cited personal and private reasons for his departure from that race, according to a separate Metropolitan News-Enterprise report.
Dejute is of counsel with the Los Angeles office of Michelman & Robinson LLP, where he specializes in complex litigation, according to the firm's website and the Metropolitan News-Enterprise. He also serves as adjunct professor and director of the Pepperdine Caruso Disaster Relief Clinic at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, according to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise.
On the issues
No issue positions or policy responses from Dejute were available for this profile.
Endorsements
The following endorsements were claimed by the endorsing organizations, according to BallotReady profile data:
- Los Angeles County Democrats
- Democrats for Neighborhood Action
The Santa Monica Wave did not receive questionnaire responses from this candidate. This profile is based on publicly available records and reviewed source material. Voters can find additional information through the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
