The judge who was judged by the world.
October 3, 1995: An estimated 150 million Americans tuned in to hear the verdict of the O.J. Simpson trial, presided over by Judge Lance Ito.
When you hear the name Judge Ito, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?
But is that a fair perception? While Simpson walked free, Judge Ito was left behind to carry the weight of the spectacle — and the judgment of the world. Most people miss the reason why he was tasked to handle such a high-profile case in the first place, and that he was much more than just that one event.
From Life of Injustice to the Justice System
Lance Ito was born in Los Angeles in 1950, the son of Jim and Toshi Ito. Like over 120,000 other Japanese Americans, both his parents were incarcerated during World War II at Heart Mountain concentration camp. Jim was an accomplished farmer who led the entire agricultural program during incarceration — transforming both the landscape and productivity of the camp.
That heritage of injustice stayed with him. As a Superior Court judge decades later, Ito kept a panoramic photograph of Heart Mountain in his courtroom, as a quiet reminder of how fragile liberty can be.
Ito graduated with honors from UCLA in 1972, then earned his law degree from UC Berkeley in 1975. He quickly rose through the ranks of the L.A. District Attorney’s office, prosecuting gang violence, organized crime, and high-profile cases like Brandon Tholmer, the “West Side Rapist.”
In 1987, Republican Governor George Deukmejian appointed him to the Municipal Court, then elevated him to the Superior Court two years later. By 1992, Ito had already presided over the initial hearing of the Menendez brothers and was named Trial Judge of the Year by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He wasn’t just talented — he was respected.
The Trial That Never Ended
Judge Ito’s decision to allow cameras in the courtroom turned what was already a high-profile case into a global phenomenon. Critics accused him of indulging in the attention, pointing to the long recesses and sidebars. Court TV exploded in popularity. Comedians mimicked his stoic face. He was a meme before the memes.
But while the public consumed the drama like reality TV, Ito was left to manage the legal and emotional chaos behind the scenes.
He wasn’t the celebrity. He was the scapegoat.
After the Spotlight
After the verdict, Ito never gave interviews about the trial, largely due to judicial ethics that prohibit judges from commenting on their cases. Instead, he returned to work and quietly presided over hundreds of cases. He also put in a lot of work to improve judicial access for immigrants and limited-English speakers. He served the public until his retirement in 2015.
But in the public imagination, he remained frozen in time — the judge from the Simpson trial.
Lance Ito’s fame is a reminder that history often distorts those caught in its lens. Has any judge ever been judged by more people?
Maybe you be the judge.