Biography

The Hon. John David (J.D.) Lord is a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California. He was originally appointed to the Downey Municipal Court in 1991 by former governor George Deukmejian. He was subsequently elevated to the Superior Court as a result of the court's unification in 2000.

Judge Lord, who hails from Wichita, Kansas and has 14 siblings, was convicted of burglary at the age of 15. He was sentenced to six months in jail for the crime.

After being released from jail, Lord, determined to set his life straight, joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served in Vietnam and reached the rank of Sergeant.

After leaving the Marine Corps, Lord became a deputy sheriff for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. It was during his employment as a deputy sheriff that he decided to pursue a legal career. He began taking night classes at Woodland University, Mid-Valley College of the Law where he earned his J.D.

After graduating from law school, Lord became a public defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. Then, in 1985, Lord switched sides of the courtroom, becoming a deputy district attorney for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. A year later, in 1986, Lord became a senior prosecutor for the D.A.'s Torrance office. He was serving in that capacity at the time of his appointment to the Municipal Court in 1991.

Judge Lord was one of two judges in the late '90s who sought out legislative support in their efforts to keep jurors identities private.

He has been a member of the Mensa society and also enjoys reading books on physics.