Orange County Mother's Plea for Protection: Local Police and OCDA's office Fail to Act

The Julie Holburn Story: Mom turned Investigative Journalist

May 23, 2025

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer at the Board of Supervisors meeting on April 25, 2023. Photo by Robert J. Hansen.

Originally Published on Newsbreak, May 5, 2023.

A mother who claims an Orange County court gave sole custody of her two children to their alleged abusive father, spoke at multiple Board of Supervisors meetings recently.

Orange County resident Julie Holburn says for the last couple of years, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has not kept her or her children safe from an allegedly abusive father and ex-husband.

“In addition to this ... the DA’s office not protecting us physically, not enforcing restraining order violations, they blocked me from making restraining order violations,” Holburn said.

Holburn also has been denied the opportunity to file contempt on child support arrears of nearly $80,000, according to California Child Support.

Holburn also claims that when she wrote the district attorney’s office for help, someone from that office came to her home and intimidated her while her minor children were there.

“We found out later that he was a DA investigator who yelled and screamed at my children and me for over two hours,” Holburn said. “I’ve experienced an extreme amount of harassment ... by the Costa Mesa police department, Newport Beach police department and district attorney’s office.”

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer received an award for the work his office has done for victims of sexual assault and abuse at the April 25 supervisors meeting before Holburn spoke.

“We have to deal with the trauma of the victims and over time that can be devastating for those individuals who have to deal with this evidence every day,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer thanked all women for standing in solidarity, giving strength to others to come forward. Not just women, but men and children.

“We are all better when women stand up and stand together to help other women come forward,” Spitzer said.

This is a rolling investigation.