Surrounded by family, judges, attorneys, students and community leaders, Benyomin “Benny” Forer was sworn in as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. Full Story
A packed courtroom of judges, prosecutors, public defenders, criminal defense attorneys, students, community leaders, family and friends gathered at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles for the swearing-in of Judge Benyomin “Benny” Forer to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Forer was sworn in by Superior Court Judge Wendy Segall in the Presiding Judge’s Courtroom on Monday, September 14. Surrounded by his wife, Dina, and their four children, Forer spoke of the humility he felt putting on the judicial robe and the responsibility that comes with it.
Forer is believed to be the first Chabad Chassid to serve as a judge in the United States.
In many ways, the people filling the courtroom told the story of his career and the relationships he has built along the way.
The audience included a large contingent of sitting judges and prosecutors, as well as prominent members of the criminal defense bar, including Andy Stein, Michael Goldstein, Bob Farahan, Elliot Zarabi and Sharon Babakhan, a former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney. Also in attendance were former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, former U.S. Special Envoy Elan Carr, members of Forer’s shul and the broader Jewish community, and many of Forer’s students from USC.
Also present was Judge-elect Tal K. Valbuena, a longtime colleague whom Forer publicly credited with encouraging him to pursue the bench.
Speaker after speaker returned to similar themes in describing Forer: his intellect, fairness, integrity and ability to build genuine relationships with people of very different backgrounds and perspectives.
That was particularly evident in his friendship with Valbuena. The two served together as Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorneys and were both elected to the Superior Court in June.
Speaking privately after the ceremony, Valbuena noted something Forer had not mentioned when thanking him publicly. Valbuena, a Muslim who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan, said that he and Forer come from very different worlds and disagree on issues. Yet over years of working together, they became dear friends.
Valbuena had enormous praise for his longtime colleague, speaking of Forer’s intellect, fairness and character, and of his pride in seeing his friend take the bench.
Forer’s path to the bench took an unusual turn. In June, more than 1.16 million Los Angeles County voters elected him to Superior Court Office No. 66, with his term scheduled to begin in January 2027. Following an additional judicial vetting process, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Forer in August to an existing vacancy, allowing him to begin serving months earlier.
The appointment followed nearly two decades in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, where Forer had served as a Deputy District Attorney since 2006. During his remarks, he thanked former District Attorney Steve Cooley, who was in attendance, for giving him his first opportunity in the office and helping launch the career that ultimately brought him to the bench.
Forer has also taught at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering since 2014, including courses in cyber and privacy law. Many of his students filled the courtroom for the ceremony, and Forer spoke publicly and warmly about what his students and his years in the classroom have meant to him.
His address after taking the oath was personal and wide-ranging. Forer drew upon Biblical and Talmudic teachings, the teachings of his mentor, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, and giants of American jurisprudence as he reflected on justice, responsibility and the privilege of serving from the bench.
He also paid tribute to the mentors, colleagues and family members who had shaped his life, reserving particularly heartfelt words for Dina and their four children.
After the ceremony, Forer privately shared another moment from the months leading up to his appointment.
Although he had already been elected to a term beginning in January, months had passed without a response regarding the possibility of an earlier gubernatorial appointment.
During a trip to New York with his 15-year-old son, Dov Ber, Forer visited the Ohel, the resting place of the Rebbe in Queens. Shortly after leaving the Ohel, while riding in an Uber to his next meeting, Forer received the long-awaited response from the Governor’s office.
Weeks later, surrounded by Dina and their children, colleagues, students and friends in a packed Los Angeles courtroom, Forer put on the judicial robe.
Deeply rooted in his faith, shaped by nearly two decades in the law, and keenly aware of the weight carried by the robe, he approached the moment with gratitude for the honor and humility before the responsibility: to administer justice fairly to every person who comes before him.
