On his first day in office, Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón gave a speech that criminal justice reform advocates hailed as heroic, but many police officers and prosecutors took it as the end of public safety in L.A.
Gascón, 70, imploded the entrenched tough-on-crime mentality of his predecessors Jackie Lacey and Steve Cooley, saying he would do away with the death penalty, adult trials for juveniles, and sentencing enhancements and other measures used to maximize the time convicted criminals spend behind bars.
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“I recognize for many this is a new path … whether you are a protester, a police officer or a prosecutor, I ask you to walk with me. I ask you to join me on this journey,†he said that day. “We can break the multigenerational cycles of violence, trauma and arrest and recidivism that have led America to incarcerate more people than any other nation.â€
Agree with him or not — and there are plenty in both camps — the seismic impact of Gascón’s changes are felt every day in the county and could well deepen as he seeks another term in office.
‘We can break the multigenerational cycles of violence, trauma and arrest and recidivism that have led America to incarcerate more people than any other nation.’
— George Gascón
Thousands of misdemeanor defendants who previously would have been charged have been spared prosecution. Some inmates sentenced to decades in prison under past policies that reform advocates consider to be draconian have been set free. Police officers accused of excessive force have far more reason to fear criminal charges than before.
Critics, however, argue Gascón’s all-or-nothing policies — which initially blocked prosecutors from filing certain charges or seeking sentencing enhancements in any case — have allowed some defendants to commit repeat offenses without fear of punishment, and blame him for increases in crime.
To be sure, Gascón has made no shortage of enemies in his time in office. Twice critics have tried to recall him from office, and the union representing his own deputy district attorneys issued a near unanimous “no confidence†vote against him. He’s being sued by 20 members of his own office.
Gascón has relented somewhat, adopting more nuanced policies — prosecutors can now seek the permission of a committee to have juveniles tried as adults or file certain sentencing enhancements. Those tweaks haven’t cost Gascón support from the progressive bloc that carried him to office, but multiple polls show he faces disapproval ratings above 50%.
While he finished first in the March primary, Gascón’s performance was considered weak for an incumbent and he now faces a tough reelection fight against former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman in the November general election.
