George Gasc\u00f3n is Los Angeles\u2019 new progressive District Attorney, replacing the two-term incumbent Jackie Lacey. As the new DA, he has made new criminal justice reforms that have \u00a0LA county prosecutors up in arms. One of his most controversial policies is the elimination of sentencing enhancements. These enhancements can add years to prison sentences depending on the charge.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors under Gasc\u00f3n have taken matters into their own hands and collectively decided to sue their new boss. According to the prosecutors, Gasc\u00f3n\u2019s new policies violate state law and their oath of office.<\/p>\n
Well on Monday, the courts provided a win for safer communities and a blow to Gasc\u00f3n’s radical policies. Superior Court Judge James Chalfant issued a preliminary injunction, blocking some directives District Attorney George Gasc\u00f3n issued to end enhancements.<\/p>\n
The court found that the District Attorney cannot order his prosecutors to ignore the law that is in place to protect the public from repeat offenders, especially in more impoverished areas where the masses are far more susceptible to higher crime.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe court ruled as we expected in holding that the district attorney cannot order his prosecutors to ignore laws that protect the public from repeat offenders,\u201d the union said in a statement. \u201cThe court ruled that the district attorney\u2019s policy violated the law to benefit criminal defendants and ordered him to comply with the law. This ruling protects the communities which are disproportionately affected by higher crime rates and those who are victimized.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gasc\u00f3n argues that sentencing enhancements don’t make communities safer, however, he hasn’t made a case for how eliminating them will. He said he plans to appeal the decision.<\/p>\n
Gasc\u00f3n has narrowed his sights, however, deciding that prison enhancements should remain for extraordinary circumstances like hate crimes, sexual abuse, child and elder abuse, sex trafficking, and financial crimes. To be clear, Gasc\u00f3n supports sentence enhancements for hate crimes, which can be very subjective in today’s polarizing political climate, and financial crimes as well, but doesn’t feel they should apply to murder and assault cases.<\/p>\n
A District Attorney’s most important responsibility is to keep the public safe from dangerous criminals, but Gasc\u00f3n has quickly turned LA County’s legal system into a stage for his political agenda.<\/p>\n