RHONDA ANTOINETTE HAYMON

Deputy Public Defender IV

 

 

I am Rhonda Antoinette Haymon and I was born into this world determined.  In the City of Bellflower, California, two weeks after my birth, I was diagnosed with pneumonia.  I rallied my strength and fought for my life, one could say it was the first case I ever won. Fighting for life, both in a figurative and literal sense, has always been in my D.N.A.  I was born to parents who hail from the southern most parts of Arkansas.  Although I was born in the city, I am anchored by my southern heritage. My father, a United States Veteran of the Navy, taught me discipline and instilled within me the value of a strong work ethic.  My parents’ marriage of 58 years has shown me the value of dedication and commitment.   I am the youngest of three children and have been an advocate all of my life.  While attending Gardena High school and graduating with high honors, I developed my advocacy skills through participation with the National Forensics’ League (NFL), now named the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).  I reached the highest level of achievement within the organization by winning impromptu-speaking competitions; a skillset that has enabled me to win cases throughout my career as a Deputy Public Defender.   

 

In 1994, I attended Tuskegee University in the state of Alabama and received a Bachelor of Science Degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude, with an emphasis on the Social and Political Sciences, and Mathematics.  It was at Tuskegee where a joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. I served as Vice-President of the Gamma Tau Chapter where I honed my leadership skills.  I learned the true value of public service and commitment by assisting Vietnam War Veterans and those whose voices are silenced.  

 

I have passed both the Oregon and the California State Bar.  I have been a practicing attorney for over 23 years and have used my presence in the courtroom to promote fairness, transparency, and justice. I began my work in public service in the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, in 2001.  I later went on to continue my work seeking justice at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, in 2004.  I have devoted my career to giving a voice to those who historically do not have a voice, people who are unfairly charged with crimes, and people who are seeking a fair resolution of their case.   I can count on one hand, the number of trials that I have lost.  One could say that I have experienced a winning career as a Deputy Public Defender.  Based upon my results in the courtroom, I earned the nickname, Ms. Acquittal.   I have achieved this jury trial success by mastering the relevant law, summoning inner strength that is in my DNA, and focusing on my role to ensure there are checks and balances on the power in the courtroom.  The courtroom is no place for greed or power-hungry people—it is not the place for those who do not want to follow the law or want to unfairly enforce the law.  For this reason, I am seeking a position on the bench. 

 

I have defended adults and juveniles in felony cases that range petty thefts to homicides, and everything in between.  I have made it a part of my practice of law to fight for fairness and justice in the courtroom.  I have also fought diligently when the law was not followed in the trial court to successfully have cases overturned in the Appellate Court.  I have successfully litigated cases in which a sentence of life imprisonment was the punishment.  My entire career path serves as a testament to my commitment and dedication to the administration of justice.

 

Over the years, I have also sought to inspire others to fight passionately for justice.  In 2006, I was elected to the California Young Lawyers Association of the California State Bar.  In that elected position, I was the representative for young lawyers who were either newly admitted to the bar or who had been practicing up to five years.  My role was to assist new lawyers in the practice of law and to help maintain the integrity of the State Bar.  I was also instrumental in developing strategies to uphold the State Bar’s Professional Code of Conduct. 

 

I have continued my quest to make sure that fairness and transparency, prevail in the courtroom, with my work as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School.  While I have been an adjunct professor, I have instructed the law students in the subject matter of Criminal Procedure and Litigation. During my time at the law school, I have emphasized the importance of mastering the law first and not compromising fairness and justice for personal gain.  I have invested my time into emphasizing the need for future lawyers coming into the practice to be “game changers” and to make the practice of law more equitable and ensure transparency. 

 

It is my experience over these 23 years of commitment to the law that has called me to the Judicial Bench.   I have witnessed how the lack of transparency in the courtroom has generated unjust results.  I have witnessed how the desire for personal gain has triumphed over justice.  I have witnessed how the lack of a strong work ethic contributes to unjust results.  My goal is to make sure that every person who walks into my courtroom has a voice and is treated fairly.  Lady Liberty holds the scales of justice while blindfolded to ensure that fairness, transparency, and equity reign supreme.  For this reason, judges are up for re-election.  I have been born with the strength. I have mastered the law.  I have developed a strong work ethic.  As a public servant on the Judicial Bench, I will enforce both the spirit and letter of the law. It is my calling to be the Peoples Dream Judge.