It is not enough for judges to know the law and have the dedication to follow it; they must use judicial discretion wisely.

In presiding over a criminal courtroom, wisdom comes from having familiarity with the diverse communities that make up the melting pot of Los Angeles County, as well as having a thorough understanding of how mental illness, addiction, trauma and poverty contribute to criminal behavior. Though prosecutors must decide who they want brought to court to be held accountable for violating the law, the process by which criminal responsibility is ultimately determined must be fair and conducted in a manner that leaves everyone feeling there is integrity in the justice system. Once a person has been found accountable for violating the law, the laws relating to sentencing must be followed, but Lloyd Handler believes discretion must be applied, where the law calls for it, through the lens of compassion for both defendants as well as victims.

Lloyd Handler has spent more than 30 years working in the courts in Los Angeles County, a career that has taken him not just into courthouses all across the County, but to the neighborhoods and communities where the people whose lives are affected by those courts – victims, witnesses and those accused of crimes – come from.