Judge Marcelita V. Haynes: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Marcelita V. Haynes is a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California. She was originally appointed to the Municipal Court by former Governor Pete Wilson in 1993. She was subsequently elevated to the Superior Court due to the unification of the courts in 2000.

Judge Haynes graduated with her B.A., double majoring in political science and prelegal studies from California State University, Los Angeles in 1973. She went on to earn her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 1976.

Haynes started her legal career practicing as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. In 1979, she became a public defender for the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. In 1983, she made the switch to the prosecution's side of the courtroom when she joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office as a deputy district attorney. Haynes had been a prosecutor for the D.A.'s office for 10 years at the time of her appointment to the Municipal Court in 1993.

During her time on the Superior Court, Judge Haynes has presided over the drug court and the criminal court.