--- title: "David O. Carter | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-o-carter" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # David O. Carter U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ยท U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - State: California - Role: U.S. District Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-16 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, C.D. California, 1998-present - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Orange, 1982-1999 - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Orange, 1982-1998 - Judge, Orange County California Municipal Court, 1981-1982 - Trial Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Orange, 1981-1982 - He became a Municipal Court Judge in 1981 and then an Orange County Superior Court Judge in 1982, earning the nickname "King David" for his leadership in the criminal division - District attorney, Orange County, CA, 1972-1981 - Began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Orange County, California, eventually becoming senior deputy in charge of the homicide division ### Education - UCLA School of Law in, excelling academically while lettering in cross country and track โ€” J.D. (1972) ### Additional information - Eastern Division, 1982-present - Western Division, 1981-1982 - Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from UCLA in 1967 - David Ormon Carter was born on March 28, 1944, in Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in Oregon and California, attending eight different schools over six years. - Date of birth: 1944-01-01 - He prosecuted high-profile cases, including that of serial killer William Bonin, known as "The Freeway Killer". - He initiated programs to assist in the rehabilitation of convicted felons, such as tattoo removal for gang members. - Carter served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, participating in the Battle of Khe Sanh. - He was awarded the Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, and was medically discharged as a. - received his commission the following day. - He serves in the Southern Division of the Central District of California in Santa Ana and occasionally sits by designation in other federal courts, including. - Birth place: Providence, RI ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/) - [Official roster](https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/) - [apps.cacd.uscourts.gov judicial profile or roster](https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/553/david-o-carter/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/553/david-o-carter/) - [Wikidata: David O. Carter](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5238164) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/553/david-o-carter/) - [Wikidata: David O. Carter](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5238164) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-o-carter", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-o-carter", "name": "David O. Carter | KnowJudges", "description": "David O. Carter, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-08", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-o-carter#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-o-carter#judge", "name": "David O. 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Carter", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-o-carter" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 304 | 58 | 1 | 58 | | 2y | 776 | 446 | 2 | 446 | | 5y | 2252 | 1906 | 2.5 | 1906 | | 10y | 5227 | 4879 | 2.8 | 4879 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) โ€” Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) โ€” Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.