O’Melveny Represents Orange County Taxpayer Plaintiff in Settlement of DNA Collection Litigation
October 21, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWPORT BEACH—October 21, 2026—An O’Melveny pro bono team represented taxpayer plaintiff and UC Irvine professor William Thompson in reaching a settlement in Thompson v. Spitzer, a case concerning the Orange County, California District Attorney’s DNA collection program.
The terms of the settlement agreement are public and outlined in a joint press release from Thompson and OCDA Todd Spitzer.
The O’Melveny team representing professor Thompson was led by of counsel Michael Yoder and counsel Abby Formella, with co-counsel from the Defending Democracy Clinic at University of California, Irvine, School of Law.
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Contact:
Brandon Jacobsen
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
+1 213 430 8024
bjacobsen@omm.com
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The Orange County District Attorney’s Office and professor William Thompson issued the following joint announcement:
Joint Press Release OCDA Todd Spitzer and taxpayer Plaintiff Professor William Thompson announce the settlement of Thompson v. Spitzer, a case concerning the OCDA’s DNA collection program.
October 16, 2026
The main provisions of the settlement include:
1. Modifications of the procedures applicable to plea offers to misdemeanants when the DA seeks a DNA sample for its program.
2. The removal of some DNA samples from the system.
3. The creation of a procedure for misdemeanants to obtain the expungement of their DNA samples from the system.
4. Clarification of some aspects of familial searching using the DA’s DNA database.
5. Additional disclosures to the public about the operation of the DA’s DNA system.
The terms of the settlement agreement are public.
Professor Thompson was represented by O’Melveny and the Defending Democracy Clinic at University of California, Irvine, School of Law. District Attorney Spitzer was represented by the County Counsel’s Office.