Ms. Ghobadi received a "Well Qualified rating because the Committee believes that you possess the professional ability, experience, competence, integrity, and temperament indicative of superior fitness to perform the judicial function with a high degree of skill and effectiveness."
— Los Angeles County Bar Association, Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee
Ms. Ghobadi received a "Well Qualified rating because the Committee believes that you possess the professional ability, experience, competence, integrity, and temperament indicative of superior fitness to perform the judicial function with a high degree of skill and effectiveness."
— Los Angeles County Bar Association, Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee
Jury Trials
Murder Trials
Years of Experience
Preliminary Hearings
Public Safety.
Equal Justice.
Maria Ghobadi’s story is rooted in resilience, justice, and a lifelong commitment to giving a voice to the voiceless in our communities and courtrooms.
Born in Iran, Maria fled to the United States with her family and settled in Southern California, where her life, like that of many immigrants, was shaped by hard work, service, and giving back to the community. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology before attending law school and ultimately dedicating her legal career to public service.
As an experienced trial attorney, Maria has spent her entire career protecting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and families who have lost loved ones to murder and gang violence. As a veteran prosecutor for over 18 years, she has handled some of the most complex criminal cases.
Maria understands the balance between protecting the public while upholding the constitutional rights of the accused. She is proud to be endorsed by over 75 judges, including the Los Angeles County Supervising Judge of the Criminal Courts and the Assistant Supervising Judge of the Criminal Courts, as well as a broad coalition that includes both defense attorneys and prosecutors who have seen firsthand her professionalism and dedication.
Guided by her immigrant journey and complex legal experience a vote for Maria Ghobadi is a vote to ensure the courtroom remains a place of fairness, respect, and balanced justice.
Endorsements
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Los Angeles County Democratic Party
International Longshore and Warehouse Union -- ILWU SCDC
Ironworkers Local 416
Local 12 International Union of Operating Engineers
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) 33
Ironworkers Local 433
AFSCME Council 57
SEIU 721
AFSCME L.A. County Deputy Probation Officers' Union
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 11
Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys
Stonewall Young Democrats
National Women's Political Caucus
Thrive LA
Citizens for Accountable Leadership
Crime Survivors PAC
Foothill Community Democrats
North Valley Democratic Club
Chinese American Citizens Alliance
Colorado Boulevard Newspaper
Westchester Playa Democratic Club
Women Leading Change Democratic Club
Honor PAC
Stonewall Democratic Club
The L.A. Watchdog endorses Maria Ghobadi for Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Seat 64
Avance L.A. Democratic Club
West Hollywood Beverly Hills Democratic Club
Santa Clarita Valley Democrats
Los Angeles Police Protective League
LA Forward
El Monte Police Officers Association
Northeast Democratic Club
Culver City Democrats United
Asian Dems of Los Angeles County
Iranian American Democrats of California
IAPAC I-Chinese American Political Action Committee
Torrance Democratic Club
Santa Monica Democratic Club
Downey Police Officers Association
Beach Cities Democrats
Cañada Crescenta Democratic Club
ALADS
UCLA Bruin Democrats
Glendale Unified School District Parents
Westside Young Democrats
Long Beach Police Officers Association
USC Trojan Democrats
Judicial Endorsements
Hon. Steve Goorvitch
Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal Second Appellate District, Division 2
Hon. Yvette Verastegui
Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division, Los Angeles County
Hon. Olivia Rosales
Assistant Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division, Los Angeles County
Hon. Osman Abbasi
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Efrain M. Aceves
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Safaan K. Ahmed
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Maria Lucy Armendariz
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Mark S. Arnold
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Paul A. Bacigalupo (Ret)
Judge, Los Angeles County,
Past President, California Judges Association
Hon. Abby Baron
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. David A. Berger
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Nicole C. Bershon
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Elizabeth L. Bradley
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Robert B. Broadbelt
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Amy N. Carter
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Tony Cho
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Joan M. Chrostek
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Charles Q. Clay III
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Lisa Coen
Supervising Judge of the Southeast District, Los Angeles County
Hon. Sean D. Coen
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Debra Cole
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Jacqueline A. Conner (Ret.)
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Shannon K. Cooley
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Andrew E. Cooper
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Maria Andrea Davalos
Assistant Supervising Judge of the Southeast District, Los Angeles County
Hon. Kelvin D. Filer
Supervising Judge of the South Central District, Los Angeles County
Hon. Christopher J. Frisco
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Karen Ackerson Gauff
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. David B. Gelfound
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Danielle R.A. Gibbons
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Alexander C. D. Giza
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Danette J. Gomez
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Hector E. Gutierrez
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Deborah A. Horowitz
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Altus W. Hudson
Site Judge of the Southwest District – Inglewood, Los Angeles County
Hon. Roger Ito
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Upinder Kalra
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Warren Kato
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Andrew C. Kim
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Esther P. Kim
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Jen Lee
Judge, Contra Costa County
Hon. Judith Levey Meyer †
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Debra L. Losnick
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. John J. Lonergan
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. LaRonda J. McCoy
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Teresa P. Magno
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Adan Montalban
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Jared D. Moses
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Carol J. Najera
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Lynn Olson
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Louis T. Parise Jr.
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Ann H. Park
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Philip C. Peng (Ret.)
Commissioner, Los Angeles County
Hon. Joseph R. Porras
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Sherry Powell
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Ashley Price
Assistant Supervising Judge of the South Central District, Los Angeles County
Hon. Sharon Ransom
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Julian C. Recana
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Wendy Segall
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Michael Shultz
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Stephanie Story
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Linda L. Sun
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Frank M. Tavelman
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. John A. Torribio (Ret.)
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Lee Tsao
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Laura Walton
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. Lauren Weis Birnstein
Judge, Los Angeles County
Hon. David Yaroslavsky
Site Judge of the North Valley District – Sylmar Juvenile, Los Angeles County
Hon. Scott R. L. Young
Presiding Judge , Napa County
Hon. D. Zeke Zeidler
Judge, Los Angeles County
Attorney Endorsements
Cristine Albanese
Deputy District Attorney
Lowell Anger
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Norwalk
Ariel Anson
Deputy District Attorney
Anthony A. Arzili
Criminal Defense Attorney
Mike Balmer
Criminal Defense Attorney
Cynthia Barnes
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Central Trials 11
Robert Britton
Deputy District Attorney
Kieran Brown
Criminal Defense Attorney
Matthew Bunnett
Deputy District Attorney
Megan Callaghan
Deputy District Attorney
Jodi Castano
Deputy District Attorney
Giselle Chang
Deputy District Attorney
John Chang
Deputy District Attorney
Deputy in Charge, Recruitment
BingChow Chen
Deputy District Attorney
June Chung
Deputy District Attorney
May Chung
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Organized Crime
John Colello
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Gang Homicide Division
Frank Dunnick
Deputy District Attorney
Assistant Head Deputy, Torrance
Juanita Duran
Criminal Defense Attorney
Mike Enomoto
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Pomona
Mary Ann Escalante
Deputy District Attorney
Assistant Head Deputy, Sex Crimes
Yasmin Fardghassemi
Deputy District Attorney
Liz French
Deputy District Attorney
Charles E. Frisco, Jr.
Criminal Defense Attorney
Anthony Garcia
Criminal Defense Attorney
Joseph Gibbons
Criminal Defense Attorney
Marc Gibbons
Criminal Defense Attorney
Chad Gillette
Deputy District Attorney
Robert Grace
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Central Trials 13
Ania Haigwood
Criminal Defense Attorney
Stacie Halpern
Criminal Defense Attorney
Rachel Hardiman
Deputy District Attorney
Jonathan Hatami
Deputy District Attorney
Yoobin Hernandez
Deputy District Attorney
Duke Ho
Deputy District Attorney
Alex Hogue
Deputy District Attorney
Drew Josfan
Deputy District Attorney
Erin Joyce
CA State Bar Defense
Nick Kang
Deputy District Attorney
Steve Katz
Chief Deputy District Attorney
Mark Khalaf
Criminal Defense Attorney
Shiraz Khalid
Deputy District Attorney & Co-President Elect, South Asian Bar Association of Southern California
Glen T. Kiyohara
Criminal Defense Attorney
Keith Koyano
Deputy District Attorney
Brenda Lee
Deputy District Attorney
Geoff Lewin
Deputy District Attorney
Assistant Head Deputy, Crimes Against Peace Officers
John Lewin
Deputy District Attorney
Professor Laurie L. Levenson
Loyola Marymount University Law School & Founding Director of the Loyola Project for the Innocent
Nick Liddi
Deputy District Attorney
Jeremiah Livesay
Deputy District Attorney
Megan Loebl
Deputy District Attorney
Danette Meyers
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Compton
Shane Michael
Deputy District Attorney
Eugene Miyata
Deputy District Attorney
Assistant Head Deputy, Training
George Morris
Deputy District Attorney
Tomi Oduyemi
Deputy District Attorney
TD Pham
Deputy District Attorney
Brittney Phillips
Deputy District Attorney
Monique Preoteasa
Deputy District Attorney
Mauro Quintero
Criminal Defense Attorney
Tim Richardson
Deputy District Attorney
Cesar Rodriguez
Deputy District Attorney
Ashley Rosen
Deputy District Attorney
Brittany Saleeby
Deputy District Attorney
Jason Sanabria
Alternate Public Defender
Nestor Santos
Deputy District Attorney
Brian Schirn
Deputy District Attorney
Head Deputy, Training
Steven Allan Seiden
Criminal Defense Attorney
Moshe Sinar
Criminal Defense Attorney
Robert Song
Deputy District Attorney
Kylie Starr
Deputy District Attorney
Phil Stirling
Deputy District Attorney
Eva Stodel
Deputy District Attorney
Leila Tahmassebi
Deputy District Attorney
Henry Truong
Deputy District Attorney
Felipe “Mike” Vela
Deputy District Attorney
Robert Villa
Deputy District Attorney
Julianne Walker
Deputy District Attorney
Assistant Head Deputy, Parole
Christina Weiss
Deputy District Attorney
Allison Willhight
Deputy District Attorney
Yujin Yi
Deputy District Attorney
Elected Officials
Hon. Nathan Hochman
Current Los Angeles County District Attorney
(2024-Present)
Hon. Jackie Lacey
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney
(2012 - 2020)
Hon. Steve Cooley
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney
(2000-2012)
Hon. Lynda Provido Johnson
Mayor, City of Cerritos
Hon. Jennifer Hong
Councilmember, City of Cerritos
Hon. Mark Pulido
Councilmember, City of Cerritos
Hon. Frank Aurelio Yokoyama
Former Mayor, Current Councilmember, City of Cerritos
Henry Lo
Mayor, Monterey Park
Elizabeth Yang
Former Mayor, Monterey Park
Hon. Leo Medrano
Mayor, Cypress
Hon. John Wu
Councilmember, City of San Gabriel
Hon. Melissa Ramoso
Mayor Pro Tem, Artesia
Chester Chong
Chairman of the Los Angeles Chinese Chamber Commerce
Pilar Schiavo
Assemblymember, California District 40
Dr. Armond Aghakhanian
Burbank Unified School District Boardmember
* All titles are for identification purposes only. Endorsements by individuals do not indicate support from their respective offices.
† In Memoriam
Testimonials
Community Service
Beyond the courtroom, Maria is deeply committed to community service. For years, she has supported educational opportunities for students, including helping raise scholarship funds through her work as a board member with the Saddleback Community College Foundation. She has also supported outreach programs serving at-risk populations including victims of crime through her involvement with the Waymakers Foundation.
In addition, Maria has volunteered in the classroom with Project LEAD, teaching 5th grade students about the law, the importance of education, and making positive life choices.
An avid dog lover, she also fosters rescue dogs through the Labelle Foundation.
