Pedro V. Castillo was appointed as a Magistrate Judge on January 24, 2020. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Deputy Federal Public Defender for the Office of the 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. A native of Mexico, Judge Castillo grew up in Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Judge Castillo received a B.A. degree from Stanford University in 1988 and a J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1991. He maintains chambers in Los Angeles.