LOS ANGELES COUNTY BENCH APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE OFFICER/CLERK OF COURT TO LEAD THE NATION’S LARGEST TRIAL COURT
After a 6-month national search for a new Executive Officer/Clerk of Court/Jury Commissioner, the judges of the Los Angeles County bench have appointed veteran court leader David Slayton of Texas to lead the operations and manage the 4,800-member staff of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Presiding Judge Eric C. Taylor announced today. Slayton will join the Court on December 1 and will assume CEO duties when Executive Officer/Clerk of Court/Jury Commissioner Sherri R. Carter retires at the end of December after leading the Court for nearly a decade.
Slayton joins the Court from the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), where he served as the vice president for Court Consulting Services. Prior to work with the NCSC, Slayton served in various court administration roles in the Texas and federal courts, including administrative director of the Texas Office of Court Administration and the executive director of the Texas Judicial Council. He also served as the director of court administration for Lubbock County, Texas, and previously served there as a trial court coordinator and deputy district clerk. Slayton also was employed as a court services supervisor for the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, in Dallas.
“David’s depth of experience in the Texas court system combined with his NCSC leadership and support for the administration of justice in state courts and courts around the world elevated his candidacy for this challenging position in the best court in the nation,” Presiding Judge Taylor said. “Equally impressive is his enthusiasm for enhancing access to justice and his demonstrated skill for working collaboratively with judges and employees. This is an exciting time of transformation in our Court as we continue to prioritize ways to make justice easier and more convenient for all Angelenos to access through innovation, technology and creativity.”
When Carter announced her retirement on May 4, 2022, Presiding Judge Taylor appointed judges to serve on the Executive Officer/Clerk of Court (CEO) Selection Committee. After conducting a national recruitment, candidate screening, and interviews, the committee recommended Slayton as the most qualified to serve as Executive Officer/Clerk of Court.
Slayton thanked the LA bench, Presiding Judge Taylor, Presiding Judge-Elect Samantha P. Jessner, the CEO Selection Committee, and Carter for the opportunity to lead the Court’s operations and staff while overseeing and implementing judicial priorities.
“I am grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to the great work already underway in the Los Angeles Superior Court,” Slayton said. “The Court has long been recognized as a leader in court administration and has a rich history of outstanding Court Executive Officers/Clerks of Court. While I have enjoyed watching the Court’s progress from afar, I look forward to working with the Court leadership, judges and court staff to provide the Court’s users with convenient and meaningful access to the justice system.”
As the state court administrator and executive director of the Texas Judicial Council from 2012 to 2021, Slayton worked with over 3,000 judicial officers and thousands of court employees to operate the Texas judiciary, developing, advocating and managing a biennial budget of nearly $1 billion. During his tenure, he led the Texas judiciary’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic; led the judiciary’s response to a cyberattack; implemented mandatory statewide electronic filing; and oversaw the procurement of a uniform case management system, as well as many other court technology innovations. He regularly represented the judiciary before the governor, legislature, and other executive branch agencies.
While at the NCSC, he oversaw the consulting work done for the nation’s state courts in areas such as court leadership, governance and administration; case flow management; facilities, security, and emergency preparedness; technology services; workload and resource allocation; access and fairness; children and family courts; problem-solving courts; language access; public trust and confidence; and judicial ethics. He also was the staff lead for the national Blueprint for Racial Justice’s Systemic Change Workgroup. He is a frequent speaker at court leadership conferences, webinars, and symposia, nationally and internationally.
Slayton earned a Bachelor’s in political science from Texas Tech University and a Master’s in public administration from Troy University. He is a 2007 Graduate Fellow of the Institute for Court Management.
You can see the full notice here.
First Legal, your premier litigation support provider.
