David Dejute, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Harvard Law School graduate, is running for Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 87. The nonpartisan race appears on the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, California general election ballot.
Dejute faces one opponent, Anthony Bayne, according to the voter-information site BallotReady. Both candidates are listed as nonpartisan. Dejute is certified for the ballot.
Candidate information
- Name: David Dejute
- Office sought: Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, Office 87
- Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Education: J.D., Harvard Law School
- Current role: Of counsel, Michelman & Robinson LLP, Los Angeles
- Opponent: Anthony Bayne (nonpartisan)
Experience and public service
Dejute spent more than 11 years as an assistant U.S. attorney before resigning on June 30, 2017, according to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise. During that tenure, he argued before the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2011 on behalf of the federal government in Drake v. Obama. The case challenged President Obama's legitimacy as a reelection candidate based on claims he was not a natural-born citizen.
Dejute successfully defended Obama in both the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported.
He is of counsel at the Los Angeles office of Michelman & Robinson LLP, where he specializes in complex litigation, according to the Metropolitan News-Enterprise.
Dejute also serves as adjunct professor and director of the Pepperdine Caruso Disaster Relief Clinic at Pepperdine University's Caruso School of Law, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported in its coverage of the 2026 judicial election field.
This is not Dejute's first pursuit of a Superior Court seat. He filed a declaration of intent for a Los Angeles Superior Court position in 2018 but did not file nominating papers. He cited personal and private reasons for his departure from that earlier race, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported.
On the issues
No issue positions or policy responses from Dejute were available in the materials reviewed for this profile.
Endorsements
The following endorsements are claimed by the endorsing organizations, according to BallotReady:
- Los Angeles County Democrats
- Democrats for Neighborhood Action
South Bay Tide did not interview the candidate for this profile. Information is drawn from public records, news reports and election data. Voters can find additional candidate information through their county voter guide.
