Fernanda Maria Barreto

Fernanda Maria Barreto is a judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California. She assumed office on January 2, 2023. Her current term ends on January 8, 2029.

Barreto ran for election for judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Barreto completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Fernanda Maria Barreto was born in Los Angeles, California. Barreto's professional experience includes working as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County. She was a law school professor for 11 years. Barreto earned a bachelor's degree from Pomona College in 1999 and a J.D. from Loyola Law School in 2005.^[1]

Barreto has been affiliated with the following organizations:^[1]

Los Angeles County Bar Association
Mexican American Bar Association
Latina Lawyers Bar Association
Parent-Teacher Association
Echo Park Chamber of Commerce

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Fernanda Maria Barreto defeated Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes in the general election for Superior Court of Los Angeles County on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Fernanda Maria Barreto (Nonpartisan)	53.1	1,000,532
	Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes (Nonpartisan)	46.9	884,004

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,884,536
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes and Fernanda Maria Barreto defeated Ryan Dibble in the primary for Superior Court of Los Angeles County on June 7, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Elizabeth Lashley-Haynes (Nonpartisan)	37.2	477,815
✔	Fernanda Maria Barreto (Nonpartisan)	36.1	464,697
	Ryan Dibble (Nonpartisan)	26.7	343,228

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,285,740
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

Fernanda Maria Barreto completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Barreto's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Fernanda Maria Barreto. I serve as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney (DDA) in the Victim Impact Program. For sixteen years I've protected our most vulnerable community members from horrific crimes victimizing women, children and the elderly. It is an honor and a privilege to ask for your vote for election to Seat 67 of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

I'm a proud Latina who grew up in the shadow of Elysian Park. My immigrant family fractured when I was four-months-old, but my single working mom raised me to dream big. I graduated from Pomona College and then Loyola Law School, where I was part of the Thomas More Honor Society.

While working at a clinic in MacArthur Park, I met crime victims who remained in danger and needed help. So I joined the LA DA’s Office to be able to help people attain justice. I have primarily focused on domestic violence, including murders, rape, child molestation, and elder abuse cases.

I have been a law school professor for the past eleven years. My husband David and I have two small children, and I take care of both of my elderly parents.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

With almost 16 years of experience as a DDA handling complex felony cases including murder, rape, and domestic violence, I am capable and qualified to take on the responsibility of being a Superior Court Judge.
The criminal justice system needs to be reformed to find a balance between decreasing the prison population and keeping the public safe. When appropriate, I will focus on collaborative courts that offer rehabilitative services to get to the root of criminal behavior.
Justice should be accessible to everyone and as a judge, I will endeavor to fairly and equitably apply the law to every person that enters the courtroom, strive to guide individuals and families through this unfamiliar system and direct them to available resources.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about finding a balance between protecting the public and helping those individuals that qualify for rehabilitation programs. For the majority of crimes without violence, we can find a better solution than simply warehousing individuals. There are individuals who need help with substance abuse, mental illness, and trauma. There are people who need support with housing, a chance to go to school, learn a trade, or help to find a job. By addressing these issues, we make the community at large safer. Collaborative courts that seek to solve the root of criminal behavior have a wonderful success rate, but these courts only work when there's funding present for judges to utilize them. We cannot simply ignore the problems, we need to invest in solutions.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I admire the work of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, when she was an attorney for the Women’s Rights Project at The American Civil Liberties Union. She was very strategic in how she chose her cases. For example, she would often have male plaintiffs, to advance gender equality issues.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe that a judge is there to serve the public. They do that by giving every individual before the court an opportunity to be heard. They do this by actually listening to each party before them when they speak. By reading and analyzing the materials brought before them. By researching and asking the questions necessary to make a thoughtful decision according to the law.

Justice should be accessible to everyone and as a judge, I will endeavor to fairly and equitably apply the law to every person that enters the courtroom, whether they are a plaintiff, a defendant, or a witness. I recognize there are specific and systemic issues within the justice system that need to be addressed to truly achieve justice for all, but for my part, I will give each person that comes before me an opportunity to be heard. I will take the time to listen to the parties and make knowledgeable, thoughtful rulings. The justice system is often scary and confusing for the people who use it and I will strive to guide individuals and families through this unfamiliar system and direct them to available resources.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I am passionate about finding a balance between protecting the public and helping those individuals that qualify for rehabilitation programs. For the majority of crimes without violence, we can find a better solution than simply warehousing individuals. There are individuals who need help with substance abuse, mental illness, and trauma. There are people who need support with housing, a chance to go to school, learn a trade, or help to find a job. By addressing these issues, we make the community at large safer. Collaborative courts that seek to solve the root of criminal behavior have a wonderful success rate, but these courts only work when there's funding present for judges to utilize them. We cannot simply ignore the problems, we need to invest in solutions.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The event that had the greatest impact on my life was the passage of Prop 187 while I was in High School. It was that event during my adolescence that made the future feel like it went from being limitless, to being limited. Before then-Gov. Pete Wilson passed Prop 187, I thought that listening to my mom and my teachers would keep me out of trouble. Then I realized that racial profiling meant none of us were safe. I saw victims of violence, harassment, theft, and other crimes afraid to come forward. I knew I had to do something. I graduated from Pomona College and then Loyola Law School, where I was part of the Thomas More Honor Society. I worked my way through both.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

During the years I attended law school, I worked at a medical clinic in the Westlake District (Los Angeles’ MacArthur Park area). Among many other things I did to support clients and connect them with support resources – including legal resources. While working at a clinic at the MacArthur Park I met crime victims who remained in danger and needed help and as a result, I have devoted my life to keeping women safe.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"We Don't Talk About Bruno."

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

The Los Angeles County Bar Association has rated me "Well Qualified."

To be “Well Qualified,” the candidate must possess professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and temperament indicative of superior fitness to perform the judicial function with a high degree of skill and effectiveness.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

If our courts are not a reflection of our communities, we all lose. I am the only Latina running to be a judge in LA County, and there are far too few on the bench who know what it's like to face racism, sexism, and xenophobia. That's why I'm a champion of diversity, access, and reform. I am running because I am capable and qualified, because I will treat every person in my courtroom with dignity and fairness, and because I will bring a much-needed perspective to the bench. Justice should not require financial resources and expertise that are out of reach for the average Californian. And a prison sentence is not the only way to ensure accountability. I know what is needed to effectively run a courtroom, conduct trials, and properly interact with the participants. As a working mom, raised by a working mom, running for a judicial seat, I possess a diverse life experience that will bring a much needed perspective to the Los Angeles Superior Court bench.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A man sued an airline company after it mislaid his luggage. Sadly, he lost his case.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Superior Court of Los Angeles County

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Footnotes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 3, 2022

California courts

Federal courts:

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California

State courts:

California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts

State resources:

Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California

[bio-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 3, 2022

[1]

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Fernanda Maria Barreto

Contents

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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Public Policy

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