The contest for Los Angeles County Superior Court Office No. 181 features two candidates, one “Well Qualified” and one “Not Qualified.”
The candidate with the “Well Qualified” rating from the Los Angeles County Bar Association is Ryan Dibble, a Superior Court Commissioner for the County of Los Angeles. As he explained to editorial board member John Seiler, he currently presides “over a courtroom hearing civil small claims and unlawful detainer matters. When I started as a commissioner in 2025, I was initially assigned to hear parole violation cases until February 2026.”
This experience is certainly invaluable, as it means he will probably feel more comfortable than many new judges in the role. In addition to his experience as a commissioner, he is a former deputy district attorney and an adjunct lecturer in law at USC’s Gould School of Law.
“In total, my 20 years in public service has entirely been in the venue of the Los Angeles Superior Court, as a prosecutor and now as a commissioner,” he explained to us. “I am prepared for the role of judge because I have handled trials and complex cases as an attorney, and have now served as a commissioner, in the very court to which I seek election.”
On his judicial philosophy, he explained, “My philosophy as a judge is to be as fair and impartial, and as good a listener and open-minded as possible. Every case matters to the people involved. Even in smaller matters, the impact is real. People deserve to be heard. They deserve a process they can understand. And they deserve a judge who is paying attention.”
His experience, coupled with his perfectly sensible approach to the office, makes him an obvious candidate. It’s no wonder that he’s managed to gain the support of both the county Democratic and Republican parties.
His challenger, administrative law judge Thanayi Lindsey, did not respond to interview requests. However, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise determined she “is not fit for the open seat” and pointed to a 2011 public reproval from the State Bar.
While we don’t put much stock in a 2011 public reproval given the passage of time, the lack of engagement with the editorial board—combined with the “Not Qualified” rating—leaves us with little insight into Lindsey.
She did tell us via a written survey that, “I have the discipline and self-control not to abuse the power that judges have. This is very important. I will focus on being the best judicial officer to each party that stands before me giving them an opportunity to explain their case and to render a decision based on application of the law to the facts.”
While her stated goals on a questionnaire are noble, voters should not have to rely on hoping she’s serious about that when a proven, highly-rated alternative is on the ballot.
In Ryan Dibble, Los Angeles County voters can rest assured that they will have a competent and reliable person on the bench.
Ryan Dibble has our endorsement.