Where Los Angeles County Prosecutors George Gascón and Nathan Hochman stand on the issues – Daily News

As Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón and former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman move into November, this editorial presents the two candidates' responses to surveys sent to all DA candidates ahead of the March 5 election.

We previously published candidates' views on selected topics:

Here we present their views on building public trust in the county's justice system, their views on the progressive prosecutorial movement, and a campaign promise they will make to their opponent about what they will not do. This presentation was published earlier this year.

Full disclosure: This editorial endorsed Nathan Hochman.

What will you do to increase public confidence in the Los Angeles County justice system?

George Gascon: As Los Angeles District Attorney, I will work to reform the system by ending mass incarceration, holding law enforcement accountable, addressing sexual assault and harassment in our community, and prosecuting polluters. I am focused on public safety while reforming the overburdened and outdated prison pipeline.

I have made reforming our criminal justice system a top priority and putting the community first when prosecuting crimes. Because we need a system that is about more than just punishment, we need a system that holistically addresses the causes of crime and aims to make our county both fair and safe. I absolutely know that we need to communicate much more effectively about the findings – and myths – surrounding criminal justice reform.

Misinformation and fear increase public unease. We need to talk about these distractions so we can respond to the very valid experiences of families and communities, whether it's a small business owner afraid of theft or a parent of a child who needs support to get their life back on track .

Nathan Hochman: The public's lack of trust in our justice system is a direct result of our current prosecutor's failed leadership, his pro-crime policies, and his lack of consistency in enforcing the law. When the public sees the District Attorney bragging that he has saved violent offenders and felons more than 10,000 years in prison by not charging them to the fullest extent of the law, and that he will not allow prosecutors to attend victim parole hearings to confront their perpetrators, public trust in the adversarial justice system is seriously compromised. To regain that trust, my tenure as prosecutor would be different than the current DA, starting with my background and experience.

Gascon never personally prosecuted or defended a criminal case; I have personally prosecuted over 100 cases, from violent gang members, drug traffickers and money launderers to corrupt police and civil servants, environmental criminals and tax and bank fraudsters. I have also defended over 200 cases and understand the impact a prosecution can have on a particular individual, family or community. Therefore, as both a former prosecutor and a defense attorney, I will lend credibility to the prosecution in both worlds. I will lead by example.

For example, unlike Gascón, I will be the one to set up an organized retail crime task force instead of not even being invited to the press conference of the task force set up by Mayor Bass.

On day one, with law enforcement leaders, public agency leaders, and community groups at my side, I will address the public and explain why blanket, pro-crime policies have not worked and why “hard middle” policies work. I will reverse Gascon's blanket policies and establish, redesign, or reprioritize task forces on homelessness, robberies, fentanyl poisoning, and organized crime.

I will work with the county to ensure adequate funding for the DA's office and law enforcement agencies to carry out the task of incarcerating the real threats to our public safety and providing community service or diversion programs for non-violent, non-serious criminals who qualify come to them. I will be ready on day one to remove politics from prosecutorial decisions and restore independence, honesty and integrity to prevent crime, protect public safety and ensure justice is served for all LA County residents.

My top priority as District Attorney will be to restore public safety and advocate for crime victims and their families, which in turn will, over time, restore the public's trust in the DA's office. This approach will not only restore morale in the DA's office and encourage the best/brightest to apply for positions as prosecutors, but will also restore morale among law enforcement as I will focus on law enforcement being a partner rather than a partner is an enemy, from the prosecutor's office.

What do you think of the national “progressive prosecutor” movement? What good and bad lessons have you learned from this movement?

George Gascon: When Los Angeles County voters honored me to lead the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in 2020, we set ambitious goals. We wanted to start right-sizing our own part of an out-of-control nationwide prison system, funneling people into jails and prisons without questioning whether every decision truly promotes public safety.

LA County led the nation in the number of people sent to prison for years, with little success as violent crime continued to rise. Not only has LA County been a leader in sentencing people to death, but we have also disproportionately used the death penalty against people of color.

We have sought the maximum punishment on behalf of victims, but have often heard from victims that we have failed to provide them with ongoing support. And we have not addressed the question of what policies and investments could actually prevent crime in order to prevent harm in the first place.

Change doesn't happen overnight and we still have a long way to go. But over the past two years, our office has supported tens of thousands of victims and helped them become survivors.

We have held accountable those who have caused real harm, and we have ensured that those in power do not shirk responsibility because of their privilege, as has all too often been the case in the past. We have also increased our crime prevention efforts and increased our collaboration with key partners to address behaviors that are often criminalized rather than treated, such as addiction and mental illness. These problems are difficult to address, but continuing to act as if the criminal justice system is a solution to them is simply unacceptable.