Judge Robert Broadbelt III

Judge Robert Broadbelt III serves on the Los Angeles Superior Court at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. The available public record documents three notable cases over which he has presided: his August 2020 order requiring Donald Trump to pay approximately $44,100 in legal fees to Stormy Daniels, litigation involving the Weinstein Company buyer Lantern Capital and producer Marvin Peart in 2021, and a 2023 Scientology-related case involving Jane Doe 1 that touched on discovery issues before arbitration. These cases span high-profile civil litigation, entertainment industry disputes, and matters involving arbitration and discovery procedure. The cases on record reflect a docket that includes complex civil matters with significant public and media attention. The fee award in the Trump-Daniels matter demonstrates a willingness to impose monetary sanctions or fee-shifting in appropriate circumstances. The Scientology case involving pre-arbitration discovery indicates familiarity with the intersection of arbitration agreements and court-supervised discovery processes. Because no analyzed rulings, attorney observations, or ingested content are available beyond the three profile data points, the depth of insight into Judge Broadbelt's judicial philosophy, procedural preferences, and courtroom temperament is limited. Attorneys should treat the guidance below as a starting framework and supplement it with direct research into his recent tentative rulings and any available court filings from his department.

Given the documented fee award in the Trump-Daniels matter, attorneys should be prepared for the possibility that Judge Broadbelt enforces fee-shifting provisions and sanctions rules when the record supports them. Counsel should ensure that any fee requests or oppositions to fee requests are supported by detailed, itemized billing records and clear legal authority, as the documented outcome suggests he engages with the merits of fee applications. The 2023 Scientology case involving pre-arbitration discovery signals that Judge Broadbelt has handled the procedural intersection of arbitration clauses and court discovery. Attorneys litigating cases with arbitration agreements — particularly where discovery before arbitration is at issue — should come prepared with precise statutory and case law authority governing the court's role at that procedural juncture. Because no ruling analyses or attorney observations are available, attorneys appearing before Judge Broadbelt should independently review his department's standing orders, any posted tentative ruling practices on the Los Angeles Superior Court website, and recent docket entries from his courtroom to supplement this baseline profile before any appearance.

• critical

  Review Department Standing Orders

  No procedural preferences are documented in the available data. Attorneys must independently obtain and review Judge Broadbelt's department-specific standing orders and any posted tentative ruling procedures on the LASC website before any appearance.

• critical

  Prepare Detailed Fee Documentation

  Given the documented fee award, any motion involving attorney fees — whether seeking or opposing them — should be supported by itemized billing records, clear legal authority for the fee basis, and a precise calculation methodology.

• important

  Brief Arbitration-Discovery Intersection Thoroughly

  If your matter involves an arbitration agreement and any pre-arbitration or discovery disputes, prepare a thorough brief on the statutory framework governing the court's authority, as Judge Broadbelt has adjudicated this issue in at least one documented case.

• important

  Research Recent Tentative Rulings

  With no analyzed rulings available in this profile, attorneys should search the LASC tentative ruling system for Judge Broadbelt's recent decisions to identify any patterns in how he rules on motions similar to those at issue in your case.

• Nice

  Prepare for High-Profile Case Protocols

  Two of three documented cases involved media attention. If your matter is high-profile, anticipate that courtroom conduct and filing quality will be held to a visible standard. Ensure all submissions are factually accurate and professionally presented.

• ›Maintain strict factual accuracy in all filings and oral argument; documented cases show Judge Broadbelt issues rulings in matters that receive public scrutiny.
• ›Be prepared to address fee-related issues with itemized, documented support rather than generalized assertions.
• ›When arbitration agreements are at issue, be ready to precisely identify the statutory authority governing the court's jurisdiction at each procedural stage.
• ›Consult the LASC tentative ruling system in advance of any hearing to determine whether a tentative ruling has been posted and to prepare a targeted oral argument response.