The Judge: According to a biography prepared for LACBA's Criminal Justice Section's Criminal Justice Awards Dinner of 2007, in which he was honored as Judge of the Year, Judge Michael E. Pastor "was assigned to the Criminal Courts Building [in 1985], where he handled misdemeanor trials, E.D.P. matters, and felony preliminary hearings. He was selected to become the first judge to handle 'Night Court' preliminary hearings....In 2001 Judge Pastor was assigned to handle felony jury trials in the Foltz Criminal Justice Center and remained in that assignment until 2004, when he was chosen for his present assignment in a felony 'long-cause' court....In that capacity, he has presided over a significant number of complicated and noteworthy felony trials." NBC Los Angeles has more, as does Fox.
The Prosecutor: David Walgren is with the District Attorney's Major Crimes Division. In 2008, he won the conviction of Theodore Churchill Shove for double murder. Fox has more.
The Defense: Edward M. Chernoff is a former D.A. who, according to the L.A. Times, handles "mainly white-collar cases." The article states, "J. Michael Flanagan, a veteran Glendale lawyer who is helping defend Murray, said...'[Chernoff is] going to win this case, and it's going to set up his career for the rest of his life.'"