Loni Coombs

Loni Coombs, Merit Street’s evening anchor and chief legal analyst, is here to help viewers understand the intricacies and implications of news stories that have landed in the court system or are headed that way. Whether the stories are about political leaders, celebrities, or everyday Americans, Loni will cut through the soundbites and spin to weigh in on legal strategies, potential outcomes, and the impact judgements will have on the rest of our lives. The relentless pursuit of justice has been a cornerstone of Loni’s life and mission. Prior to her broadcast career, she served as a criminal prosecutor for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office for 18 years. In this role, she fought to convict defendants ranging from stalkers to murderous gang members. As Deputy-in-Charge of the LA-Malibu Courthouse, she handled high-profile celebrity cases, and headed up the District Attorney’s Hate Crimes Unit, where she oversaw all the most complex hate crime cases in the county. Additionally, she served as part of the Crimes Against Police Officers special unit, which investigated/prosecuted all the cases involving a police officer being shot and/or killed in the line of duty. Since leaving public service, Coombs has been a legal commentator for numerous news and entertainment outlets, such as: CNN, the Today Show, The View, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Access Hollywood, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, and Court TV.

She’s hosted more than five True Crime documentaries, where she actively re-investigated murder and wrongful conviction cases. Additionally, she served as field reporter, primetime newscast anchor, and morning show host on KTLA 5 in Los Angeles, where she was awarded the Associated Press Mark Twain Award for her gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Phil Spector trial.