10 Mar How Nathan Hochman compares with Gascon’s Extreme Policies
The lack of public confidence in our justice system is a direct result of the failed leadership from our current DA, his pro-criminal policies, and his lack of consistency in enforcing the law. When the public sees the District Attorney boast that he has saved violent and serious criminals over 10,000 years in prison by failing to charge them to the full extent of the law and that he will not allow prosecutors to attend parole hearings with victims who confront their victimizers, the public confidence in the adversarial justice system is seriously impaired.
Gascon has never personally prosecuted or defended a criminal case; I have personally prosecuted over 100 cases, from violent gang members, narcotics traffickers, and money launderers to corrupt police officers and public officials, environmental criminals, and tax and bank defrauders. I have also defended over 200 cases and understand the impact a criminal prosecution can have on a particular individual, family, and community. Thus, as both a former prosecutor and defense attorney, I will bring credibility in both worlds to the DA’s Office. I will lead by example.
Unlike Gascón, I will be the one to establish, for instance, an Organized Retail Crime Task Force rather than not even being invited to the press conference for the task force Mayor Bass set up.
On Day 1, I will address the public with the leaders of law enforcement, public agencies, and community groups at my side and explain to them why blanket, pro-criminal policies have not worked and why “hard middle” policies will. I will reverse Gascon’s blanket policies and set up or revamp or reprioritize task forces on homelessness, smash-and-grab robberies, fentanyl poisoning, and organized crime.
I will work with the county to ensure proper funding for the DA’s office and law enforcement to carry out the job or incarcerating the true threats to our public safety and offering community service or diversion programs for non-violent, non-serious criminals who qualify for them. I will be ready on Day 1 to remove politics from prosecutorial decisions and restore independence, honesty, and integrity to prevent crime, protect public safety, and ensure justice is served to all LA County residents.
My No. 1 priority as District Attorney will be restoring public safety and advocating for victims of crime and their families, which in turn will restore public confidence in the DA’s office over time. This approach will not only restore morale in the DA’s Office and encourage the best/brightest to apply for positions as prosecutors, but it will also re-establish morale with law enforcement as I will focus on law enforcement being a partner, rather than an enemy, of the DA’s Office.