Los Angeles County’s newly elected District Attorney, Nathan Hochman, was sworn into office on Tuesday, December 3rd, with former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger presiding over the ceremony.
In the recent November election, Hochman defeated the controversial incumbent, George Gascón, to become the 44th District Attorney of Los Angeles County. Voters are hopeful that Hochman will set aside partisan constraints and focus on holding criminals accountable to address the rising public safety concerns in the area.
On the day of his inauguration, hundreds of elected officials, law enforcement officers, deputy prosecutors, and others attended the ceremony. Hochman announced a series of immediate judicial policy reforms aimed at holding the most dangerous criminals accountable while also providing counseling and rehabilitation services for those who have committed crimes due to drug addiction or mental illness.
He plans to rescind Gascón’s special directives that once prohibited or severely limited certain charges against criminals or enhanced sentencing. Once these directives are lifted, the District Attorney’s office will once again have the authority to assess charges based on the unique circumstances of each case, the severity of the crimes committed, and the impact on the victims.
The District Attorney is the highest-ranking official in the judicial department of Los Angeles County, overseeing approximately 1,000 deputy prosecutors. Over the past four years, there have been multiple attempts by the public to change the District Attorney’s choice, primarily due to dissatisfaction with Gascón’s policy of “non-prosecution or light prosecution” of criminals.
Gascón’s policies included lenient sentencing for drug trafficking offenders, canceling special charges against gun offenders, not incarcerating juvenile violent offenders for gang murders, mass killings, serial rapes beyond the age of 25, abolishing the death penalty, and eliminating cash bail for minor or non-violent felonies.
Data shows a significant increase in crime rates during Gascón’s 19-month tenure. As a result, there were numerous grassroots movements for Gascón’s recall, with over 710,000 voter petition signatures submitted, but the special recall election did not proceed due to the insufficient number of eligible voters. It wasn’t until the November 5th election that voters elected Hochman to replace Gascón.
With Hochman taking oath of office, the reforms he plans to implement on his first day include reinstating deputy prosecutors’ authority to bring special charges against gun offenders; lifting the ban from the Gascón era allowing deputy prosecutors to participate in parole hearings when offenders seek early release, to advocate for rape victims and homicide victims’ families; and abolishing the ban on “not charging youth with minor crimes for stealing items valued under $950.”
Hochman stated, “District Attorneys can only be guided by two things: the facts and the law.” He intends to lead special task forces to address issues such as homelessness, fentanyl poisoning, human trafficking, hate crimes, organized retail crime, and residential burglaries.
“This is no longer out of reach. The District Attorney’s office will collaborate with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, government organizations, non-profits, and other groups to address pressing public safety and quality of life issues,” Hochman said.
Many residents of Los Angeles County have expressed that community safety is their top concern, and the District Attorney’s duty is to hold criminals accountable and uphold judicial fairness. Therefore, they hope that Hochman will steer clear of partisan disputes and instead focus on addressing public safety issues.