Endorsement: Judge Pat Connolly for L.A. Superior Court Office 116

Sitting judges in Los Angeles County often go without challengers in their six-year election cycles for the simple reason that incumbents are tough to beat. That has been the case for Judge Pat Connolly, currently on the bench in the Compton courthouse; ever since he was first elected 18 years ago after serving as a well-known gang prosecutor, he hasn’t faced opposition on the ballot. Lawyers, often deputy district attorneys, would usually rather run for open seats. When they do choose to run against a sitting judge, it’s against an incumbent with issues of advanced age or of some kind of controversy about rulings or conduct.

During his time on the bench, the California Commission on Judicial Performance has reprimanded Connolly three times, and that is perhaps the main reason Deputy District Attorney Paul Thompson, who has tried cases in front of the judge, chose to run against Connolly.

“I don’t know of a judge who has that many disciplinary actions from the” commission, Thompson told the editorial board in a telephone interview. “It’s important. There’s a lot of lack of faith in our public institutions. It’s going to take good people coming forward and providing accountability.”

That is true. But when allegations are made and reprimands issued, it’s also important to check out the facts. The three actions over 18 years were for improper language toward an attorney, improper treatment of a defense attorney and comments the commission deemed inappropriate toward a defendant.

Connolly very much owns up to using salty language from time to time. He’s a former football player and admits he can still talk as if he’s in the locker room. But the “improper language” wasn’t in court; it was in his own judicial chambers, in a newspaper interview. In the second instance, the CJP said that Connolly “became embroiled” in a dispute between a defense attorney and a prosecutor. The “embroiled” part is because, rather than settling the dispute immediately, Connolly kept calling the feuding partners back to talk with him.

“Honestly, I was very young as a judge, my first year or two,” Connolly told us. “It was because I kept bringing them back instead of getting it done in one fell swoop.”

Connolly has been rated “well-qualified” by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He has been endorsed by Sergio Tapia, the presiding judge of the Los Angeles County Courts, Tapia’s three leading deputies and former DA Steve Cooley.

Challenger Paul Thompson, rated “qualified” by the Bar, has also done exemplary work in our legal system. He was the lead prosecutor on the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault case, and has prosecuted over 70 cases to a jury verdict. He quite likely will be a good judge in the future. But Connolly, 61, is a very good judge now, and he should be retained on the bench.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 12:11 PM.