--- title: "David Sotelo | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-sotelo" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # David Sotelo Texas Precinct 4 · Justice of the Peace ## Profile - Court: Texas Precinct 4 - State: Texas - Role: Justice of the Peace - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-26 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, 2002-present - Commissioner, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, ?-2002 - He passed the California bar in 1987 and initially worked in private practice before joining the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office - He co-founded and instructed the SHADES (Stopping Hate and Delinquency by Empowering Students) program at the Los Angeles Museum of Tolerance and continues to volunteer as a Teen Court Judge ### Education - University of California-Los Angeles — J.D. (1987) - Undergraduate degree in politics from UC Santa Cruz in 1983, followed by a J.D. from UCLA School of Law in 1986. - University of California-Santa Cruz — B.A. (1983) ### Additional information - After retiring from the bench in 2023, Sotelo joined ADR Services Inc. as a mediator and arbitrator - Sotelo received the Distinguished Social Sciences Alumni Award from UC Santa Cruz in 2013 and the Benjamin Aranda Judge of the Year award from the Mexican American Bar Association - Date of birth: 1954-01-01 - handling employment, personal injury, commercial, civil rights, and professional liability disputes. - Judge Sotelo has been deeply involved in community service. - He emphasizes cultural sensitivity and thorough preparation in his mediation work, often reviewing briefs and speaking with counsel before sessions Judge David Sotelo is recognized for his thoughtful, fair, and culturally aware approach to law, both on the bench and in alternative dispute resolution - He has served on the boards of the Mexican American Bar Foundation, Beverly Hospital, and the UCLA Law School Board of Advisors, and was president of the East Los Angeles Rotary Club - David Sotelo was born in Los Angeles - Birth place: East Los Angeles, CA ## 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 ### justice court remote appearances Scope: statewide In justice-court civil proceedings, the judge may allow or require electronic participation after considering case, evidence, access, and party factors; written notice must include joining and evidence-submission instructions. Evidence excerpt: A judge may allow or require a participant to appear at a court proceeding by videoconference, teleconference, or other available electronic means. [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 500.9, Appearances at Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### limited criminal remote appearance Scope: statewide For the specific fine-and-cost hearings governed by Articles 45A.258 and 45A.259, a justice or municipal judge may allow a defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference when an in-person appearance would impose undue hardship. Evidence excerpt: If the justice or judge determines that requiring a defendant to appear before the justice or judge in person for a hearing under Article 45A.258 or 45A.259 would impose an undue hardship on the defendant, the justice or judge may allow the defendant to appear by telephone or videoconference. [Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/pdf/CR.45A.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://card.txcourts.gov/directorysearch.aspx) - [Official roster](https://card.txcourts.gov/directorysearch.aspx) - [Texas Office of Court Administration official judicial roster](https://card.txcourts.gov/directorysearch.aspx) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/12838/david-sotelo/) - [Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 500.9, Appearances at Court Proceedings](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf) - [Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/pdf/CR.45A.pdf) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/12838/david-sotelo/) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-sotelo", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/david-sotelo", "name": "David Sotelo | KnowJudges", "description": "David Sotelo, Texas Precinct 4. 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Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1462948/texas-rules-of-civil-procedure-july-1-2026.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26. - [Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-7a6578736340dbebb75e89c7) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/pdf/CR.45A.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26. - [Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 45A.260, Appearance by Telephone or Videoconference](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-0fa5a7f51969f3609de00053) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim. Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/pdf/CR.45A.pdf). Collected 2026-07-26.