By Anne Irwin, Rev. Zachary Hoover, and Delvone Michael
George Gascón has been a champion for justice and safety his entire working life. From his days as a beat cop, to Assistant Chief of the LAPD, to his latest tenure as Los Angeles District Attorney, he has advocated for fairness, equity and safety in the criminal justice system.
On Tuesday, November 5, supporters of criminal justice reform in Los Angeles County3and all of us who have been fighting for a more effective and compassionate approach to addressing harm in the community—suffered a setback with the election of Nathan Hochman as District Attorney.
DA Gascón’s tenure was marked by incessant opposition, with two recall attempts and enormous pressure from well-funded interests seeking to reverse reforms. By the time Nathan Hochman decided to leave behind his longtime affiliation with the Republican Party to run as an Independent, voters had already been bombarded with fear-driven narratives linking public disorder and crime, which created an impossible landscape for any prosecutor to navigate, much less one determined to initiate reform.
It’s worth noting that Nathan Hochman won this election by employing the language of reform throughout his campaign. He called his policy proposals a ‘blueprint for justice’ and included among them a ‘promise to implement effective criminal justice reform,’ a commitment to increase rehabilitative programming for those charged with crimes, and an acknowledgement that ‘not all crimes deserve jail time.’ That he ran on these principles speaks to how deeply reform has already resonated with voters in Los Angeles.
We take some solace in knowing that the impact reformers like Gascón have made in such a short time means that the very concept of criminal justice reform has taken root in Los Angeles and California.
Our movement will continue to champion the principles of safety, fairness, and humanity throughout the criminal justice system.
Anne Irwin, Director of Smart Justice California Action Fund, Rev. Zachary Hoover, Director of LA Voice Action, and Delvone Michael, Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives for Working Families Party, on behalf of Working Families for Safe Neighborhoods and George Gascón in response to the election of Nathan Hochman as Los Angeles County District Attorney
Bill Maher said it best:
“Even liberal L.A. said, ‘Here’s an idea — instead of locking up the toothpaste, how about we lock up the shoplifters?’ “