Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Gascón Bound for Runoff in Re-Election Bid for LA County District Attorney

CITY NEWS SERVICE

District Attorney George Gascón will be heading to a November runoff election in his bid to retain his position. He will likely face Nathan Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general who was the Republican candidate for state attorney general in the 2022 general election.

With neither candidate earning more than 50% of the vote from Tuesday’s primary election, the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election.

Gascón topped the field of 11 challengers as votes were tabulated Tuesday night, with Hochman running a close second and Jonathan Hatami, a child abuse prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office, in a fading third place.

Gascón was elected in 2020 over incumbent Jackie Lacey because he promised a wave of progressive changes. But he has been under fire since taking office for issuing a series of directives critics have blasted as soft on crime. The directives included a rule against seeking the death penalty, a ban on transferring juvenile defendants to adult court, and prohibitions on filing sentencing enhancements in most cases.

“This campaign is not about me, this is a community movement,” Gascón said last November, when he kicked off his reelection campaign. “This is about looking at the criminal justice system of the 21st Century not with a rear-view mirror but looking forward.”

Also running for his job were three other members of Gascón’s office: John McKinney, supervising district attorney; Maria Ramirez, the head deputy D.A.; and Eric Siddall, a violent crimes prosecutor.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judges Debra Archuleta and Craig J. Mitchell were also on the ballot, along with David S. Milton, who retired as a Superior Court judge in 2014.

The other candidates were Jeff Chemerinsky, an assistant U.S. attorney; criminal defense attorney Dan Kapelovitz, and Lloyd “Bobcat” Masson, a cold case prosecutor in San Bernardino County.

Most of the opponents were challenging a number of Gascón’s policies, with numerous candidates framing a narrative of out-of-control crime in Los Angeles, driven by lenient policies enabling criminals’ release.

Hochman, a former U.S. assistant attorney general, offered voters what he described as a “blueprint for justice.”

“I am shocked and disappointed at how our public safety has seriously worsened over the last three years under current D.A. George Gascón,” Hochman stated on his campaign website. “I am prepared to fight to restore it. My Blueprint for Justice outlines the changes I will make as your District Attorney to restore safety and justice to our county.”

Hochman said that under Gascón’s leadership, veteran prosecutors were stripped of their ability to file appropriate charges against violent, repeat offenders.

As for part of his blueprint, Hochman vows to “restore the purpose of the District Attorney’s Office to fairly, effectively, and vigorously prosecute those who break laws in Los Angeles County based on the evidence and the law.”

Hochman said he would also “restore the integrity and independence of the district attorney by not making decisions based on a party affiliation or political ideology but solely on the facts and the law.”

His campaign points out that Hochman is running as an Independent.

“I believe the D.A. needs to be fiercely independent and have encouraged all other candidates to do the same,” Hochman said.

Hatami, who was hired as a deputy D.A. in 2006, said he wants to restore public safety and make meaningful reforms in the office.

“As your district attorney, I will prioritize public safety by implementing comprehensive strategies to protect all of our communities from danger, prevent crime, maintain peace, hold violent offenders accountable and establish a path to success for low-level offenders,” Hatami said on his campaign’s website.

Hatami also served in the nation’s first Complex Child Abuse unit at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles, according to his campaign.

“I believe in reforms, rehabilitation and second chances,” Hatami said. “However, we must first and always follow the law. We must balance reforms with public safety and protecting our most vulnerable.”

Hatami vows to “bring transparency back to the people’s office, hold wrongdoers accountable, and make real,  meaningful reforms.”

Most of the challengers in the race said they planned to reverse the sweeping policy changes Gascón enacted on his first day in office. Gascón, despite all the criticism, was able to fend off two recall attempts. During a debate with nine of the 11 challengers, Gascón defended his directives.

“We have seen crime coming down not only in our community, but we’re seeing crime going down nationwide, at the same time that we have continued with the reform efforts,” Gascón said. “We’re showing that not only we cannot go back to the way that we did business, but actually the fact is our reforms are good for public safety.”