As prosecutors who see how changes in the law actually play out in the justice system, we strongly support Proposition 20 which appears on the November ballot. Prop 20 will make reasonable changes to fix some of the unintended consequences caused by Props 47 and 57 and AB 109 to make them comport with what […]
In response to a Public Records Act request for George Gascón’s disciplinary records, the LAPD, rather than indicating that no such records exist, has instead stated that “records responsive to your request remain privileged, confidential, and exempt from disclosure. “Gascón, who has publicly advocated for transparency in the criminal justice system, apparently draws the line […]
The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 in support of a charter amendment for the November ballot that would defund public safety and require a minimum of 10% of the County’s unrestricted general funds —ROUGHLY $880 MILLION — to be spent on direct community investment and alternatives to incarceration. The proponents on the Board […]
The Death Penalty Clinic at Berkley Law released a study last week that concludes that “racial discrimination is an ever-present feature of jury selection in California.” The study was authored by long-time criminal defense attorney Elisabeth Semel, who runs the Death Penalty Clinic at UC Berkeley. It is clear that many of the erroneous conclusions […]
As a member of the public, who would you choose to serve as a juror on a serious criminal case? Jurors need to be responsible enough to get to court on time every day. They must be attentive to complex evidence. They must listen to and comprehend legal instructions from the judge. They must sit […]
In another exhibition of fluff and political grandstanding, George Gascón has promised that if elected District Attorney he would seek resentencing for the 229 inmates on death row who were tried and sentenced in Los Angeles County. Never mind that there is no legal authority for him to recall and resentence a person already on […]
While the internet may have flaws, one of its redeeming features is that those who have do not own a printing press or media outlet no longer have to rely on the largess of newspapers or media outlets to have their voice heard. The internet has allowed the ADDA to use our News & Advocacy […]
In a devastating investigative series titled “Meth Mayhem,” Fox 11 examined the drug and homeless crisis on L.A. streets, as well as Prop 47’s contribution to that crisis. George Gascón, one of the authors of Prop 47, was given extensive airtime to respond to the series and one of his statements caught our eye. Gascón […]
After the Supreme court decided Citizens United, special interest dark money flooded political campaigns. District Attorney races, traditionally non-partisan, non-political, were not spared from this onslaught. Eighteen months ago we wrote about an example of this problem. Special interest groups, funded by George Soros, pumped millions of dollars into district attorney races across the county. […]
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently passed a motionto study the feasibility of creating a “Civil Defense Justice Unit” in the Public Defenders Office to represent “justice involved” individuals in various civil proceedings. (“Justice involved” is the newest politically correct term for “criminal defendant”:. This unit would assist criminal defendants with various civil […]
