Jacob Lee

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Jacob Lee

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of California, Berkeley, 2005

Law

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, 2009

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Deputy District Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Jacob Lee ran for election for judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in California. He lost in the primary on March 5, 2024.

Lee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jacob Lee earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2005 and a law degree from the Loyola Law School, Los Angeles in 2009. His career experience includes working as a deputy district attorney.

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2024)

General election

General election for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

George A. Turner Jr. defeated Steve Napolitano in the general election for Superior Court of Los Angeles County on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	George A. Turner Jr. (Nonpartisan)	59.7	1,783,888
		Steve Napolitano (Nonpartisan)	40.3	1,204,149

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,988,037
= 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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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Superior Court of Los Angeles County

George A. Turner Jr. and Steve Napolitano defeated Jacob Lee and Ronda Dixon in the primary for Superior Court of Los Angeles County on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	George A. Turner Jr. (Nonpartisan)	32.8	423,808
✔		Steve Napolitano (Nonpartisan)	28.6	369,245
		Jacob Lee (Nonpartisan)	27.2	350,461
	Submit photo	Ronda Dixon (Nonpartisan)	11.4	146,837

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,290,351
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Lee in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jacob Lee completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lee'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.

I am a father, a husband, and a life-long public servant. I am also a life-long resident of Los Angeles and a proud graduate of LAUSD. I attended UC Berkeley and graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Rhetoric. I then attended Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and served on the Moot Court Team and the Law Review before graduating with honors with a concentration in the criminal justice.

My journey to public service started with my parents who immigrated to Los Angeles from South Korea in search of a better life. However, shortly after their arrival, they were both robbed – my mother twice and my father once at gunpoint. But they never reported these crimes because they were intimidated by the justice system and the police who neither looked like them nor spoke their language. I wanted to change that and become a voice for those who did not have one.

I worked tirelessly to attend law school and dedicated my career in public service upon graduation to becoming a Deputy District Attorney, in not one but two different offices – Fresno County and now Los Angeles County. I worked hard as a Deputy District Attorney and conducted over 40 jury trials to verdict on charges including murder, robbery, and assaults, so that I can now proudly say that I know the inner workings of the same justice system that my parents were previously intimidated by.

My unique background, passion for public service and courtroom experience provide the diversity and character that we need today in judges.

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?

• Balanced view on justice: As the son of immigrant parents who were both robbed when they first came to this country, I understand the importance of a strong criminal justice system that seeks to protect the community and prevent crime. But as the friend and relative of numerous people who have fallen victim to substance abuse, homelessness, and mental health issues, I also understand the importance of a criminal justice system that seeks to heal the community not by creating a revolving door of prison but by addressing the root cause of the criminal conduct through effective programming to address any underlying cause(s) involving substance abuse, mental health, housing, and other issues. Judges must be balanced and not biased.
• Fair, Just, and Compassionate: Judges must embody these traits so that everyone who enters the courtroom can have a voice and not be intimidated by the criminal justice system like my immigrant parents were when they first came to this country. My life experience and upbringing allow me to be compassionate and fair to everyone because I know what it is like to grow up poor, discriminated against, and voiceless in a system that seems to be stacked up against you. My parents worked multiple jobs just to put food on our table while I grew up in a poor neighborhood of Koreatown that was severely affected by the LA riots. Justice must serve everyone so that just outcomes are accessible to all and not just the wealthy or powerful.
• Judicial Temperament, Work ethic, and Integrity: These qualities cannot be seen in a person unless you have known the person for some period of time and seen them perform their job. I am grateful to have been endorsed by over 50 distinguished judges from the Los Angeles Superior Court, many of whom did so because they believe I have the right judicial temperament for the job, along with a strong work ethic and integrity, after having seen my work in the courtroom over a long period of time.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Balanced justice for a safer Los Angeles.

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

Impartiality and fairness. This, however, is impossible to maintain if the majority of one's campaign is being funded by a group with a political agenda. I am proud to say that the majority of my campaign is being funded by my own personal funds because it is important for judges to be unbiased and not have a political agenda upon taking the bench.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Provide a safer Los Angeles for my children to live in.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Every judge I have sought an endorsement from are judges who I admire because they are fair, compassionate, and diligent. But a judge I admired and respected during my legal studies was Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. As a Korean-American and the son of immigrant parents, I always looked up to role models who did not fit the mold and were different because I always felt different myself. What initially drew me to her story was how she was the first female to serve in a male-dominated U.S. Supreme Court. But once I learned more about her work as a Supreme Court Justice and actually read many of her opinions during law school, I was shocked to see how her voice made such a defining impact on the direction of American jurisprudence, so much so that many called her the most influential women in American history at one point. Her work and what she stood for resonated with me because the very reason I went to law school was to become a voice for people and to make a difference. I hope my work can also inspire a new generation of people in public service who identify with my story and what I stand for.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

Now more than ever in Los Angeles County we need judges who are strong, compassionate, and fair with a balanced view on justice. I have fought for justice on behalf of victims all throughout my career as a Deputy District Attorney for over a decade. But I have also provided numerous offenders second chances on probation or diversion in my current position as a calendar Deputy District Attorney, which is a senior position in my office where I make the final offer on many felony cases including serious and violent felonies. I gave numerous offenders second chances on probation or diversion with high quality programming – as opposed to custody time – in order to address the root causes of the criminal behavior and help prevent future crime by equipping offenders with the right resources, knowledge, and support. My balanced view on justice – one of being strong on crime while also seeking restorative justice when safe for the community – is what the bench needs in Los Angeles County today.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

- Over 50 Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges

- Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley (2000-2012)
- Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey (2012-2020)
- Association of Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff's (ALADS)
- Association of Deputy District Attorneys (ADDA)
- Latinos Prosecutors Association
- LGBTQ Prosecutors Association
- Long Beach Democratic Club
- Beach Cities Democrats
- Culver City Democrats United
- Trojan Democrats
- Democrats for the Protection of Animals
- Councilmember Paul H. Seo (City of Rancho Palos Verdes)
- Councilmember Henry Lo (City of Monterey Park)
- Eboney Pearson, President of the Democratic Women’s Study Club of Long Beach

- Jury Candelario, Director of APAIT

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.

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

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Candidate

Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Website

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Footnotes

California courts

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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