With just four weeks to go until the election for district attorney in many areas in California, Everyday Injustice checked in with Lara Gressley, who is running for a second time against Michael Hestrin for Riverside DA. Hestrin, seeking his third term, has held office since 2015.
Hestrin, the incumbent, is a heavy favorite and has outraised his two challengers both by more than a three to one margin.
But the race has sparked debate over the role of law enforcement union money in DA’s 
races. In the last cycle, he took more money from law enforcement than anyone in the country.
According to one report, about 15 percent of his contributions have come from law enforcement. Neither of Hestrin’s opponents have accepted money from law enforcement.
“It has the appearance of a conflict of interest, regardless of whether it actually manifests into one — which I think it has in this instance — but even setting that aside for a moment, the goal is to earn back the public’s trust,” Gressley said. “How can you do that when you’re not prosecuting law enforcement historically at all, and you have hundreds of thousands of dollars from these union PACs coming in?”
For her part, Gressley talked about her work as a habeas attorney and wrongful convictions, as well as police accountability.
Listen as Lara Gressley talks about reforming the criminal legal system and her run for district attorney.
