While there are many judicial races for discerning Angelenos to scratch their heads about, one of the easiest calls on the ballot is the re-election of Judge David Walgren in Superior Court Office No. 81.
For two decades, he served the public as a Los Angeles County deputy district attorney. One of his most notable convictions was of Dr. Conrad Murray in the death of Michael Jackson. In 2012, the same year he was named Prosecutor of the Year, Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him to the bench.
In the years since, he has performed his job ably and has been rated “Exceptionally Well-Qualified” by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He is the only judicial candidate out of the two dozen on the ballot with this highest rating.
“On the bench, my focus has been simple,” he told us. “Be prepared. Keep cases moving. Treat people with respect. Apply the law consistently. I run a disciplined courtroom where decisions are made and people are heard.”
He further noted his greatest influences have simply been those who have done the job as it should be done. “I was influenced early in my career by judges who were prepared, even-handed, and respectful in the courtroom. That example shaped how I approach the bench. The focus is not on ideology. It is on doing the job the right way.”
As reasonable and obvious a candidate for re-election as Walgren may be, he is being challenged by attorney Dan Kapelovitz. Rated “Qualified” by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, he last ran for Los Angeles District Attorney in 2024. In that race, unlike most of the other challengers to then-DA George Gascon, he actually agreed with much of Gascon’s ideas.
He told us at the time: “While I agree with many of Mr. Gascón’s directives, most of them have not been implemented. Many of the deputies who work under him completely ignore his directives and pretty much do whatever they want. The DA’s office is still often seeking maximum sentences. The DA’s office is still seeking bail that the defendant has no ability to pay. The DA’s office is still opposing mental health diversion and drug treatment programs and other forms of diversions. The DA’s office is still opposing meritorious motions to suppress evidence based on unlawful searches. The list goes on.”
Kapelovitz does indeed seem to feel most comfortable as a staunch critic.
In a recent interview with columnist Rafael Perez, Kapelovitz “made numerous statements expressing his gripes against judges, so much so that it gave the impression that he has an axe to grind against the profession. He complained about judges who are ‘petty tyrants’ that become ‘drunk with power’ and who like to ‘scream at’ and ‘belittle’ people. He complained of judges rejecting his negotiated plea bargains, judges rejecting his motions in court, and much more.”
As passionate as Kapelovitz seems to be about crusading against unjust systems, it seems he may simply be running for the wrong offices. Or perhaps he’s doing what he should be doing, which is working as a defense attorney.
It’s not obvious to us that Kapelovitz would make an ideal judge and it seems even less clear that an argument can be made that he’d be a better judge than Walgren.
This is a no-brainer. We endorse the re-election of Judge David Walgren in Office No. 81.