The race for Los Angeles County district attorney is one of the most contentious on the March ballot. Eleven challengers are seeking to unseat incumbent George Gascón. If nobody gets a majority of votes, the top two finishers will face off in a November runoff.
The race is shaping up to be a referendum on the policies of Gascón, who is seen across the country as a leader in criminal justice reform. When he took office in December 2020, he issued a series of sweeping directives to his prosecutors aimed at reducing mass incarceration and racial disparities in the justice system.
Critics say the policies have been a failure and contributed to an increase in property crime, including thefts and burglaries. Because of these and other policies, Gascón has become a lightning rod of the right.
A district attorney’s policies are only one of many factors that contribute to crime trends. In the city of L.A., violent crime is down 3.2% over the past two years, while property crime is up 3.5%. This generally mirrors trends in cities with both conservative and liberal district attorneys across the country.
You can read more about the candidates in the LAist Voter Game Plan.
Here are nine things to consider in the district attorney’s race.
Consider how candidates would handle misdemeanor cases
When he took office, Gascón directed his prosecutors to decline charges involving 13 categories of low-level misdemeanors, including driving on a suspended license, drug and paraphernalia possession, and public intoxication.
The sweeping new policy called for misdemeanor charges only when there were extenuating circumstances, like repeat offenses.
Gascón says…
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