MARIA GHOBADI

Why Thrive LA endorses MARIA

Maria Ghobadi is a Deputy District Attorney with over 17 years of prosecutorial experience in Los Angeles County, including more than six years in the Gang Homicide Division. Born in Iran, she fled to the United States following the Iranian Revolution, earned a degree in biology, and went on to build one of the most distinguished trial records in the DA's office. She is running for Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 64. Judicial races rarely get the attention they deserve, but they matter enormously. The judge on the bench determines whether violent offenders face real consequences, whether victims receive justice, and whether the courtroom operates with the efficiency and discipline that public trust demands. Ghobadi's career has been defined by exactly those priorities: holding violent criminals accountable, standing with crime survivors, and earning the respect of law enforcement, fellow prosecutors, and the judges she has appeared before for nearly two decades. Her record speaks in specifics. Ghobadi has tried over 85 jury cases, including 21 homicide prosecutions. She has handled domestic violence, sexual assault, murder, and gang violence cases at the most serious level. The DA's office gave her its highest possible performance rating: "Far Exceeded Expectations, Outstanding." More than 64 sitting and retired Los Angeles County judges have endorsed her candidacy, including Supervising Judge Yvette Verastegui and Assistant Supervising Judge Olivia Rosales. Former District Attorney Steve Cooley, who led the office from 2000 to 2012, has personally endorsed her. The Crime Survivors PAC, the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys, and the Los Angeles Bar Association (which rated her "Well Qualified") have all backed her candidacy. These are not political favors. They are professional assessments from people who have watched her work. Maria Ghobadi is the proven, principled jurist Los Angeles needs on the Superior Court bench.