LOS ANGELES – A campaign to oust Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón was launched Saturday night when pressure grew on his criminal law reforms, which critics say went too far.
Remember lawyers, including families of victims and law enforcement officials, claim Gascón, who has been campaigning to implement comprehensive changes in the district attorney’s office, has put criminals ahead of victims since taking office less than three months ago. entered.
In an email, Gascón said that “the pain and trauma of the loss of a loved one is immeasurable” and he “respects that some victims want me to impose the maximum punishment in their case.”
“Research shows that excessive sentencing has exacerbated the recurrence of the case which has led to more victims of crime,” he added. “Our system of justice cannot continue to rely on policies that create more victims tomorrow, simply because some victims want the maximum punishment imposed on their case today.”
Organizers plan to collect at least 20 signatures on Saturday, the amount needed to revoke an intent, during a “victim vigil” outside the district attorney’s office in downtown LA. They expected up to 100 people to attend, including many victims of crime and District Attorney Jon Hatami, an outspoken critic of Gascón’s changes, reports NBC Los Angeles.
The recall effort requires valid signatures from at least 10 percent of the state’s registered voters, or just under 600,000 people, to qualify for the vote, according to the LA County Registrar-Recorder / County Clerk’s Office. Elected officials must be in office for at least 90 days before a revocation attempt can be officially launched. Gascón was sworn in on 7 December.
Since his tenure, Gascón has moved quickly to renovate the district attorney’s office through a series of guidelines, including no longer seeking the death penalty and the practice of preventing juveniles as adults.
According to a George group of Facebook, George Gascon, with more than 39,000 followers, the district attorney ‘campaigned’ and was elected on a platform that does not include gang improvements and did not seek the death penalty, so it is no reason to recall him. ‘
‘Within minutes of being sworn in, however, he made other drastic changes that he did not make public during a campaign to get violent and dangerous criminals back on the streets. This is unacceptable. “He has misled LA County voters and should be removed from office,” the group wrote on Facebook.
A Cuban immigrant, Gascón, was San Francisco’s district attorney from 2011 to 2019 and was previously a Los Angeles police officer. During his recent campaign, Gascón promised to make many of the reforms he has since carried out in a bitter race against former LA County District Attorney Jackey Lacey. He won more than 53 percent of the vote.
Lacey came under fire from Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles and other thriving groups who were frustrated by her record that she did not prosecute the police accused of using excessive force. She was the first black person and first woman to lead the office. Her predecessor, Steve Cooley, is listed among those who support the Gascón effort.
Two former Republican officials also support the effort. Gascón is a Democrat, although the election was impartial.
Opposition to Gascón’s agenda has been rapid since he took office. Earlier this month, a judge ruled that his policy change, which ends the improvement of sentencing, violates state law. Such improvements can add to the imprisonment of an accused for years if certain criteria are met. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed less than one month into Gascón’s term by the union representing hundreds of provincial prosecutors. In the case, the union claimed Gascón’s comprehensive regulations contradicted state law.
Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, said on Saturday that the group supports Gascón’s progressive reforms of justice and launched the hashtag #StandWithGeorge earlier this year.
In other parts of the state, remembrance campaigns are also underway. Organizers calling for the government of California Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, to be removed say they have collected more than 1.8 million signatures from the 1.5 million needed to force an election. Less than half of the number has been certified by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A third recall attempt is also underway in San Francisco to force progressive district attorney Chesa Boudin.