November 5, 2024 - District Attorney

 

Disclosure: I know Nathan Hochman. We are on a first name basis but we are not friends. The fact that I know him had no impact on what is written below.

 

The choice between the incumbent District Attorney, George Gascon and his challenger Nathan Hochman could be decided by one factor only. Since December 8th of 2020 the District Attorney of Los Angeles county's office has had a blanket policy of not representing victims in parole board hearings. It's easy to understand gas guns choice to reduce prison terms seek a rehabilitative approach and so on but one of the responsibilities of prosecutors is to represent and protect the rights of the victims of people being considered for parole.

 

But there is other information that concerns me regarding Mr. Gascon. More than 35 cities have issued votes of no confidence in the man. 20 different prosecutors in his office have sued him for various reasons. Data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows that homicides within the county rose from 145 in 2019 to 212 in 2023. I feel less safe when out in public now than at any other time in my decades of residency in this county.

 

Choosing between preserving the rights of criminals versus preserving the rights and safety of their victims isn't a difficult issue to balance. Prosecutors and law enforcement officers are the last line of defense to protect the non-criminal population from the criminal population.

 

I am voting for Nathan Hochman for District Attorney