Legal Eagles: Four Candidates for LA County Superior Court - David DeJute, Anna Reitano, Donna Tryfman & Rhonda Haymon

ELECTION 2026 -Los Angeles County voters will decide on four Superior Court judicial contests on Tuesday, November 3rd. 

These nonpartisan races feature candidates with backgrounds in criminal defense, government litigation, private practice, as well as impressive academic credentials. All four have been rated "qualified" by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. DeJute is seeking elective office for the first time while Reitano and Haymon ran previously for the bench and Tryfman sought a seat with the Beverly Hills Unified School District.  

The following profiles focus on their professional experience, qualifications, and notable endorsements:

David DeJute — Superior Court, Office No. 87

David DeJute — Attorney and Law Professor:

DeJute has more than 35 years of legal experience spanning federal prosecution, corporate litigation, private practice and legal education. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Harvard Law School, he clerked for U.S. District Judge William J. Rea before entering private practice. He later served as vice president of litigation at Sony Pictures Entertainment and as an assistant U.S. attorney, representing federal agencies including the FBI and NASA. A professor at Pepperdine University's Caruso School of Law, he has provided legal assistance to victims of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires.

DeJute's campaign emphasizes judicial independence, impartiality, and ensuring litigants feel they have been heard, regardless of the outcome. His endorsements include California Treasurer Fiona Ma, US Congressman Ted Lieu, developer Rick Caruso and the West LA Democrats. A resident of Malibu, his experience in federal cases and complex corporate law distinguishes him from other candidates whose careers have been centered in local litigation cases.

Anna Slotky Reitano — Superior Court, Office No. 65

Anna Slotky Reitano — Deputy County Counsel:

Reitano serves in the Los Angeles County Counsel's Justice and Safety Division, where she supervises civil litigation and advises county departments on public safety, youth violence prevention and community safety matters. Her 20-year legal career includes more than a decade as a Los Angeles County deputy public defender, representing thousands of adults and children in criminal and juvenile proceedings. Earlier in her career, she worked as a certified law clerk in the District Attorney's Office and handled administrative matters involving public safety employees. Her experience across prosecution, criminal defense, juvenile law, and government litigation provides a broad foundation for the bench.

Reitano has emphasized the importance of rehabilitation and mental health diversion, drawing in part her own personal family experience with mental illness. Her endorsements include the Stonewall Democratic Club, as well as a broader coalition of local Democratic organizations,  labor, and legal professionals. A former child actress, she played Brooke McAllister in Home Alone. Reitano is married and a proud mom. 

Donna Tryfman — Superior Court, Office No. 131

Donna Tryfman — Deputy Public Defender:

Tryfman has spent nearly three decades with the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, where she joined in 1998. She has tried more than 100 jury cases involving serious and violent felonies and now works in the Major Cases Unit, focusing on homicide and capital litigation. A graduate of Brandeis University and the University of La Verne College of Law, she previously supervised attorneys at Eastlake Juvenile Court and worked with a collaborative drug court addressing addiction and criminal justice. She also served as a Judge pro tempore, handling traffic, small-claims and unlawful-detainer matters. In 2025, she received the Gideon Award as a Felony Attorney of the Year.

Tryfman values the importance of experience, preparation, fairness, and respectful treatment of those who enter the courtroom. She served as president of the Public Defenders Association from 2015 to 2020 and participates in legal policy development through the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Her endorsements include Justice Anne H. Egerton of the California Court of Appeal and former Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley. Tryfman seeks to bring her extensive criminal-trial experience and unbiased temperament to the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Rhonda A. Haymon — Superior Court, Office No. 64

Rhonda Haymon — Deputy Public Defender:

A veteran criminal defense attorney with more than 26 years of public service, Haymon is a graduate of Tuskegee University and Willamette University College of Law. She began her public-defense career in Orange County before joining the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. She has tried more than 100 jury cases involving misdemeanors, including serious felonies, and homicides. Her experience also includes police-misconduct matters and six years teaching criminal procedure and litigation as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School. 

Haymon's campaign emphasizes due process, equal treatment under the law, courtroom preparation, and a justice system that treats people with dignity. She argues that decades of trial work have prepared her to evaluate evidence, protect constitutional rights, and understand the consequences of judicial decisions for defendants, victims and families. Her most notable endorsements include Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.   

(Nick Antonicello is a thirty-three-year resident of the Westside who is covering the various judicial contests on the November 3rd General Election ballot. A longtime contributor to City Watch LA, he can be reached via e-mail at [email protected])