Judge of the Superior Court, Office No. 81 in Los Angeles County, California

2026 Primary Election

• David B. Walgren — Incumbent Judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in Calabasas, California

  David B. Walgren was appointed as a Judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2012 by Governor Jerry Brown. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office for 16 years, from 1996 to 2012. During his time as a prosecutor, he handled several high-profile cases, including serving as the lead prosecutor in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray regarding the death of Michael Jackson. He also prosecuted a photographer for attempting to blackmail actress Cameron Diaz and was involved in the extradition case of director Roman Polanski. Walgren earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

• Dan Kapelovitz — Criminal Defense Attorney in West Hollywood, California

  Dan Kapelovitz is a Certified Criminal Law Specialist who earned his law degree from UCLA School of Law, graduating in the top 10 of his class. He has a background as a criminal defense attorney and has taught Criminal Procedure and Evidence at the People's College of Law. Before his legal career, he was the Features Editor for Hustler Magazine. His legal experience includes clerking for a federal judge, working on civil rights cases, and representing animal rights activists pro bono. He has previously run for Los Angeles County District Attorney in 2024, Attorney General of California in 2022, and was a candidate in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election.