Pedro V. Castillo was appointed as a Magistrate Judge in January 2020. Before his appointment, he
served as a Deputy Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles. He was a trial lawyer in that office for over
27 years, representing indigent defendants in all stages of their criminal proceedings, including
arraignment, motions, trial, and appeal. While at the Public Defender’s office, he also served as a
representative in the Central District’s Substance Abuse Treatment and Reentry (STAR) program, a
post‐conviction reentry program for high risk substance abuse offenders which provides integrated
drug and alcohol treatment services, and also served as a representative in the Central District’s
Conviction and Sentence Alternatives (CASA) program, a post‐guilty plea diversion program that offers a
creative blend of treatment, sanction alternatives, and incentives to effectively address offender
behavior, rehabilitation, and the safety of the community. Since joining the bench, Judge Castillo has
continued his service to CASA as one of the program's judicial officers.
Judge Castillo has served as a settlement judge in many cases, including those related to business
litigation, automobile warranty, intellectual property, insurance, breach of contract, environmental
issues, employment, and civil rights disputes. He has extensive experience in resolving complex
discovery disputes in civil cases.
He is active in bench-bar organizations, including the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County
Bar Association's (LACBA) Litigation Section, the Los Angeles Chapter of the Federal Bar Association,
and LACBA's Criminal Justice Executive Committee.
Judge Castillo received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his law degree from the
University of Arizona College of Law.
