Substance Over Noise

Donna Tryfman's Experience as a Deputy Public Defender Provide Substantive Qualifications

If there is one thing I have learned after more than three decades as a Deputy Public Defender, it is this: the loudest voice is not always the wisest one.

Courtrooms teach a different lesson. Judges are not chosen by who speaks the loudest, who creates the most drama, or who generates the most headlines. They are entrusted with making careful, informed decisions that affect people’s lives forever.

That is why I believe judicial campaigns should focus first and foremost on substantive qualifications.

How many years has a candidate practiced law? How many jury trials have they handled? Have they tried complex cases? Have they managed life-and-death decisions? Have they demonstrated integrity under pressure? Have they earned the respect of colleagues, opposing counsel, and judges? Have they shown the temperament to treat every person with dignity and fairness?

Those are the questions voters deserve to have answered.

Over my career, I have represented thousands of clients, tried more than 100 jury trials, handled some of Los Angeles County’s most serious homicide and special circumstance cases, supervised younger attorneys, served as a Judge Pro Tem, and dedicated my career to ensuring that our justice system works fairly for everyone who enters a courtroom.

None of those accomplishments fit neatly into a social media post or a political rumor.

Unfortunately, judicial campaigns sometimes become consumed by noise. Rumors spread faster than facts. Personal attacks receive more attention than professional accomplishments. Conversations about experience can be drowned out by distractions that have little to do with whether someone will make an excellent judge.

That is a disservice to voters.

The judiciary occupies a unique place in our democracy. Judges are not legislators. They are not policymakers. They are impartial decision-makers whose responsibility is to apply the law fairly, thoughtfully, and without fear or favor. Choosing a judge should never resemble choosing the loudest political personality.

Experience matters because judgment matters.

The calm developed after decades of difficult trials matters. The ability to listen before deciding matters. The discipline to separate emotion from evidence matters. The humility to recognize the enormous responsibility of wearing a judicial robe matters.

Every election gives voters an opportunity to look beyond the noise and ask a simple question: Who has demonstrated, over the course of an entire career, that they are prepared to serve fairly, competently, and with integrity?

That is the conversation I hope we continue to have.

Because when Election Day is over, the campaign ends—but the decisions made from the bench will affect families, victims, litigants, attorneys, and our community for years to come.

Those decisions deserve to be made by someone whose qualifications speak louder than the noise.

https://www.tryfmanforjudge2026.com/post/being-everyone-s-judge