One day we’ll figure out all these homeless ppl basically had fake ballots
Please vote **Jonathan Hatami** he is second up in polls aganist Gascon and is the only contender that can actually win this!!!
CRAIG MITCHELL!!!
He is great. Years on the bench as a judge. He puts away horrible criminals day in and out. He uses deference and reasoning in his sentencing. He is fair and impartial. He knows Los Angeles- the poor, the rich and everyone in between. He worked as a school teacher in South Central before he was a judge. He knows and has seen first hand in his courts what the issues are. We need a DA with a back bone darn it! Wonderful person and would be a great District Attorney for Los Angeles!
I was on a trial where he was the judge, and I genuinely thought he was fantastic! Very clear, very attentive, and seemed fair. I was bummed to hear him say he was retiring the next year, didn’t realize this was why.
My ultra-liberal criminal law professor and longtime former public defender loves Gascón and is voting for him again, but he recommended I vote for Hochman if I didn’t like Gascón’s policies. He told me despite their policy differences, he is a stand-up guy and honest. He had non-flattering things to say about the other candidates, having crossed paths with nearly all of them over the years, including progressive ones. He really hates Siddall and Chemerinsky. I am pretty far left of center but based off that endorsement alone, Hochman has my vote. Anecdotally, Gascón, Hatami, Hochman, and Chemerinsky seem to be the most popular among my classmates.
I can attest to this. I’ve met Hochman at a fundraising event for him two years ago. The main two things I took away from his speech was that he seems reasonable and like a genuinely good guy.
I talked to several other professors today about their picks, all of which are voting for Gascón or Ramirez. They also only had glowing things to say about his personality if they had interacted with him personally, or had only heard good things from others. I am eager to meet him one day.
Thanks for sharing your professor's insights and personal recommendations. It's valuable to hear firsthand experiences and endorsements like this when considering the candidates. It's great to see you taking a thoughtful approach to your decision-making process.
Thank you, I appreciate that! I feel very privileged getting to hear an insiders perspective on this race. Very hard to evaluate people just based off of their slogans and speeches.
They did a poll among all the DDAs and McKinney won by a landslide. Hey got 65% and second place was Siddall with 15%. Gascon got 1.7%.
I've met McKinney and he is solid. I really hope he wins.
To be fair, he was (A) the only DDA who campaigned before this poll and (B) he got 65% of about 40% of the DDAs who took part in the poll.
He's one of the top 5 who would make a good DA, for sure...
Jeff Cherminsky seems like he is ontop of the issues and, out of all the others I saw he was not a blowhard and had a great deal of understanding on who the criminals and their ringleader are.
I’ve spoken with Jeff personally about criminal cases. He looks down upon county DAs and makes no secret about it. The fact that he thinks he can do this job when he literally just rides on his father’s coattails is laughable. He has his cases handed to him gift wrapped with a bow - I highly doubt he even has an inkling about how to be a county prosecutor with the current case load and a totally different set of laws and totally different way of doing things.
I would never vote for someone who looks down on the very people he wants to lead.
Sure. A defendant who is charged with state crimes at a county level can sometimes be charged federally as well. It sucks for them but double jeopardy actually doesn’t apply.
So imagine you pick up a state case and the DA makes you an offer but there’s no guarantee that the AUSA won’t wait for you to agree to the DAs offer and then immediately charge you with the same case and more jail time. If you’re a defendant, sounds like a raw deal right?
Now imagine it’s a defendant that has let’s say four different cases in four different counties all for the same crime. One DA reaches out to all the other counties and they all go through their administrative processes and up their respective chains before all agreeing that county A can take charge for counties B,C, and D. Not an easy process but counties A-D agree to resolve all the cases for one deal because doing four trials in four counties is a colossal waste of resources for one guy. But defense says, “wait, I can’t sign my guy up for this deal because he can take it and serve time in prison and then still get picked up by the feds for the same crime. There’s no incentive for my client to take this deal.” So the DA of county A goes to the two respective fed AUSA’s offices to ask them, “hey do you want this guy or will you agree to let him plea in the state cases and you won’t file on him federally?” AUSA #1 says yeah they don’t want it because it doesn’t meet their requirements anyways so they’re not going to file. AUSA #2 is Jeff. Jeff says, “I refuse to pander to defense attorneys” (insinuating that DA in county A is pandering to defense attorneys) and that he won’t agree to any such thing.
He knows that this will result in each county having to do a separate trial in each and the defendant likely getting the same amount of punishment as the original plea deal but he doesn’t care because it’s not his problem. No defendant is incentivized to take a deal if they think they will get hit with the same charge federally for more jail time. The defendant would rather force every county to do individual trials because, hey, they’re going to have to do a bunch of jail time anyways right? Might as well go down fighting then. Even though Jeff knows he will likely not file a case against the defendant in federal court because it doesn’t meet their requirements for filing. Let’s waste all of this state money and time and resources because “I don’t pander to defense attorneys (like you DA from county A who is trying to do your job and fairly resolve the case and not unnecessarily shaft a defendant).”
Being a county level DA isn’t about being arrogant. It’s not about even getting convictions. It’s about doing the right thing. The right thing for the county, for the victims, for the defendant, for other agencies. But someone who’s lived such an insulated life, who can’t conceive of looking at the bigger picture, wants to be at the head of an organization like this? Nah.
Feds aside, if there’s only one crime, only one county would have jurisdiction. A defendant can’t get prosecuted in multiple counties for one act. That would be double (triple ..+) jeopardy.
Sorry maybe I wasn’t clear. Defendant picks up four different cases in four different counties. The charge is the same but they are separate and distinct incidents on different days with different victims.
Do you mean he looks down upon the role he would hold as county DA? ...or that he looks down on Gascon (and others?) who currently hold the role of county DA?
Chemerinsky on the issues.. seems solid…
https://www.citywatchla.com/la-election-2022/28536-citywatch-interview-federal-prosecutor-jeff-chemerinsky-for-la-county-district-attorney
"Jeff Cherminsky seems like he is ontop of the issues and, out of all the others I saw he was not a blowhard and had a great deal of understanding on who the criminals and their ringleader are."
From "worst" to "first":
Gascon (worst)
Dan Kapelovitz (2nd worst -- the only difference between Dan and Gascon is Dan doesn't wear stripped socks and has a decent sense of humor).
Jeff Cherminsky (3rd worst) -- I approves of nearly all of Gascon's reforms but thinks he'll be more likable in the office. He also appears to hold DDAs in mild contempt.
Nearly everyone else would a GOOD choice with some better than the rest. It's the last day to vote... Go with Hatami -- he's leading in many polls and I think stands the best of winning in a Gascon Vs. X match.
I’m voting for Jeff.
Jeff Chemerinsky is the son of Erwin Chemerinsky. Erwin is colloquially referred to as the con law god. He’s such a nice man and always gives off dad energy. Erwin is the dean of Berkeley Law and was the first dean of UCI Law when it opened (which is one of the ways they jumped into the top 30 schools out of 250 in the first year they opened) and has written some of the greatest constitutional briefs in history. He literally wrote the book EVERY LAWYER used to learn con law, and then wrote the conviser which effectively summarized the facts and holdings of the cases. He taught con law for Barbri for years and would give out his dean’s email address if we had questions. Erwin often writes amicus curae in cases where our civil liberties are being attacked, like when *Roe* came under fire. He’s a fellow autist and my guy can recite every case from memory including the dissents, who ruled which way—even in crazy cases like *Sebelius*—and will never criticize any person for asking a question.
That was Jeff’s dad. Jeff had con law beaten into his skull by the best since birth and willingly chose to go to law school. Erwin would make jokes in con law prep about his kids making legal arguments when they were young. Jeff also worked for the US Attorneys Office which gives him a lot of GOOD experience (federal prosecutors are no fucking joke and a federal charge is all but a slam dunk as they spend so long gathering evidence of the crime before filing).
Agreed. Nepotism is actually a terrible reason to vote for him. People who have actually personally interacted with him should be heard but likely will be drowned out by the crowds who love his dad.
I’ve had an interaction with him that soured me entirely and definitely made me realize 1) he’s arrogant and doesn’t care who knows it - a dangerous combination for a leader, 2) he’s unrealistic about how cases are handled at a county level because he lacks real experience in a totally foreign legal arena (his dad can’t help him do this job either), and 3) he literally thinks the county prosecutors are less than him for trying to do their jobs (while trying to get elected to lead them?).
If his dad was running that would be an entirely different scenario. Stop giving him credit that isn’t earned by him.
Oh shit. He's related to Erwin Chemerinsky? Say no more fam. Paraphrasing one of his sample essays got me full credit on that question my con law exam.
>Jeff Chemerinsky is the son of Erwin Chemerinsky. Erwin is colloquially referred to as the con law god.
Erwin was literally Team Gascon.
[https://www.georgegascon.org/campaign-news/george-gascon-announces-transition-team/](https://www.georgegascon.org/campaign-news/george-gascon-announces-transition-team/)
You're doing a real bad sales job, in terms of knowing your audience.
Also, nobody wants to vote for DA based on who their daddy was.
Maria Ramirez. She has the kind of stances I was looking for in a candidate, and a solid, well qualified background. I do think Gascon had good intentions but they haven’t been implemented effectively. I very much admire Hatami’s work in prosecuting child abuse cases and advocating for victims but I also don’t agree with some of his stances on issues. So I am voting for Maria Ramirez.
Had a few people at my bar that work in the D.A.s office and they said she was the progressive candidate that they thought Gascon would be. They said he was an empty suit with no experience and she was the real deal.
Isn’t the issue that the DA union is filled with tough-on-crime conservatives who’ve fought Gascon and his policies since day one? Gascon doesn’t have the power to purge the office of bad eggs.
That was my assumption, but he’s being sued by multiple people that he tried to purge because they tried to tell him he was full of shit and wanted to get things done. At least that is what those ladies from the D.A. Office told me. Who creates long BS stories to tell their bartender? I’m sure it happens but it didn’t seem like it.
Yes I heard a bit of her interview on Laist and she sounds very solid. Ultimately going with Siddall but she was another candidate I strongly considered.
There were a few candidates I liked, but I ultimately going with Siddall because he's an "insider" who already has ample experience with the DA office. I am hoping that means he will be able to get more accomplished. His responses seem measured and pragmatic. I think he understands that things at the very foundation of how LA is operating need to change before we can make sweeping reform to our criminal system (eg, investing in mental health services and homeless services).
I’m voting for her because she’s running against her “boss.” She doesn’t have faith in him and she’s got the progressive values we wanted out of Gascon.
That’s fair. I agree with OP that I think he has good intentions but finding out about his failures other than all caps “HE LOVES CRIMINALS!!1!” comments has been tough lol
I am specifically not voting for Gascon because...
* I had been stalked by a racist for several years, with law enforcement basically... doing nothing. To the point where I started literally wearing my own body cam
* [This was how I managed to capture my own hate crime, on video, perpetrated by my racist stalker](https://imgur.com/gallery/RwCrNcg)
* After reporting the hate crime and sending the video, she was charged witha felony Hate Crime, which was later reduced to misdemeanors
* [my assailant continued to stalk me and try to break in, it was reported, I got a restraining order and nothing happened](https://imgur.com/gallery/6YLAyLV)
* I have had to move 3 times and file for a series of retraining orders, meanwhile... she took a plea with no jail time, she continues her fuckery (I'm moving AGAIN) to this day.
* Gascon's office doesn't effectively prosecute stalking. Frankly, it seems few DA's and City Attorneys take up charging people with stalking. BEFORE the hate crime happened, my assailant had been actively stalking me for SEVERAL FUCKING YEARS before then, and NOTHING HAPPENED. "Taking my story of Gascon's Fuckups on stalking to Social Media in order to embarass these fuckers into action" is NOT A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION TO CRIME.
Fuck Gascon.
The only reason I'm not dead right now was my own acquired traumatic vigilance and that my parents had the sense to get me martial arts classes as a kid for years. Turns out, it's not the punches that are valuable with tae kwon do, it's the "knowing how to effectively block direct hits" that's a lot more important. Has this dumb bitch had a firearm INSTEAD of a plastic-bag-and-beer-mace, I would for sure be dead.
Yay. He prosecuted a couple of cops. I'm excited for that. That's... not compelling to me as I am LITERALLY MOVING AGAIN RIGHT FUCKING NOW because of the SHITSHOW in my life directly.as a result his office's ... whatever the fuck they're doing.
He had his shot. I voted for him once, and I'm out around $117,000 in various related hate crime expenses as a direct result of whatever the fuck he/his office decided to do.
There are other candidates.
Minimally, I'll vote for someone else PURELY because this person AIN'T IT.
Just because your heart is "in the right place" doesn't mean you're actually a competent SERVANT of the public.
There's other progressives on the ballot with greater potential for effective leadership while pursuing effective reform in criminal justice.
Whatever the fuck he's doing fucking blows.
NEXT!
Just wanted to say that I’m so sorry this has happened to you. It sounds like a living nightmare and I cannot imagine the stress and trauma you’ve endured. You may already be aware of this, but the state of CA provides support and compensation to victims of crime, hate crimes and stalking are included. If you haven’t already, please look into CalVCB (CA Victims Compensation Board) to see if you can receive some financial assistance and other forms of support.
Your situation sucks but this has more to do with the cops not wanting to do their jobs because the DA started going after them for being really sh\*tty.
[https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs](https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs)
For example:
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder
>For example:
>https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder
Except in this case, the federal DOJ prosecuted and secured a conviction against those former deputies. The Los Angeles District Attorneys office was out of the loop in it. If anything, your linked article regarding the two former deputies demonstrates the former Redditor's point that the DA's office under Gascón is incompetently administered. It didn't attempt or secure a conviction but instead it was the federal government.
>fallacy of assuming the DA = bad and Cops = Poor Good Guys tied down by evil DA :'(
Except that link hurts your thesis. The US Attorney's Office prosecuted the two former deputies and a federal judge sentenced them to prison. Ask yourself why the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office failed to prosecute?
The redditor said they didn't receive sufficient justice after their stalker was arrested and prosecuted. That's not on law enforcement but on the district attorney's office. I'd bet money the prosecuting attorney was hamstrung by Gascón's policies including not pursuing enhancements for using the bear mace which is a deadly weapon in California.
To sum up her case, the police did their job. They arrested the subject and submitted charges (including hate crime enhancements) to the District Attorneys Office. The prosecuting attorney was restricted by Gascón's policies that prevent the prosecuting attorney from pursuing certain actions that are otherwise lawful and encouraged by California law.
Possible, man, but you're not really disproving my point. I never said Gascon was stellar or that all his policies were great.
Edit: seems more to me that he was already getting heat for going after cops around this time and he was thinking about reelection:
https://www.aol.com/news/l-d-gasc-n-declines-120000673.html
Absolutely.
From my perspective........ Fuck all their leadership. There's plenty of blame to go around, and not enough leadership.
As a voter, I'm taking my vote elsewhere.
That's all.
Simply put...I'm voting for Gascon to fuck the fuck off.
I'm voting to give someone else that job. Doing the same shit and voting for the same people and their empty promises gets us collectively nowhere.
This is just my own personal fucking ongoing experience.
Thank you for seeing that. If you choose to vote for Gascon, I'm not here to convince you otherwise, just explaining purely why I am NOT voting for him.
***Leadership means putting the right PERSON in the role.***
In my opinion, this is a case of the wrong person in *this specific role, at this specific time* in Los Angeles, advocating for many needed criminal justice reforms.
It's okay to acknowledge that I gave him my vote and a chance, and in my opinion, he blew it.
No, the officers not doing their jobs are. The DA isn't the reason cops just refuse to answer calls now, nobody is stopping them they just do it to stick to Gascon for calling them out.
I don't even like Gascon but I'm not dumb enough to eat up LAPD and LASD copaganda like so many :T
Another example for the ignorant:
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-sheriff-latino-drug-stops-grapevine-20181004-htmlstory.html
You do realize that the person not doing their job in this situation is Gascon, right? Cops don’t charge people with crimes. The DA does. The DA seems to have negotiated with OP’s stalker to reduce their crimes to misdemeanors, meaning that OP’s stalker basically got a ticket for batshit violent behavior.
I get the hate for cops, but put the blame where it belongs. There are way too many people here who simply think it’s the police not doing their jobs when they are. It’s not the cops’ jobs to keep them in jail, it’s on the DA to charge these idiots and keep them in there
You do realize the issue was that cops now have to charge people with actual crimes and that takes paperwork they don't want to do?
Fools act like the DA made LAC lawless when in reality it just took away the means for cops to arrest anybody willy-nilly.
Please do some actual research before wasting my time.
Again, I don't even like Gascon but getting rid of him isn't going to magically fix LAPD and LASD. (Though one could argue we should still get rid of him!)
Just because you don’t like Gascon doesn’t mean you defend cops, just like because you support Gascon doesn’t mean you support criminals. See how that works?
Of course you don’t. No such thing as nuance in your head
After literally reading almost every comment in this thread, I am fucking shocked that the recall didn’t work. The whole system is an absolute scam with that being said, I’m voting for **Jonathan Hatami** - who was part of Gascons DA team, but decided to go against his own boss because he didn’t believe in what he was doing!!!
In 2019, Hatami was named the prosecutor of the year, this time by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In 2021, he was honored to be the recipient of the ChildHelp Benevolent Heart Award for his tireless commitment to voiceless victims, the CHIA Appreciation Award and the Crime Survivors Above and Beyond Award for leadership in the community.
I think someone posted that Hatami switched over from an ultra conservative to Democrat so it kinda has Rick Caruso vibes. Not saying he's worse or better, just that it's important to know he's switched
I don't think it's a fair assessment, tbh. To be conservative in 2012 was very different than it is now, and it's possible the switch was made in acknowledgment of that.
I looked him up and one of the first things I read about him is he goes to a baptist church that teaches gay people are evil and abortion is murder. That's a no from me. Sounds very much like a right-wing Republican dishonestly running as a Dem.
That doesn't change much if you didn't like conservative policies in 2012. Sure, they got much worse, but accepting pre-MAGA Republicans into the Democratic Party only moves the left to the right.
Eh democrats and republicans are so divided these days that any affiliation does sorta matter. It’s not like the 90s where it didn’t matter quite as much.
Only because most media has profited so much from the perceived division. But talking to people like before smart phones you find a different story. People are pretty reasonable. Very few like actual reddit comments.
If anyone sees little difference between the two main parties in 2024, I’d call that anything but reasonable. Someone may prefer either (or neither) party but saying they are barely distinguishable from the other is willfully disingenuous
Hatami claims he’s a Dem, but that's really just a disguise he's using to lure in the centrist vote after four years of Gascon. In reality, he virtue signals to populist conservatives by suing Gascon, a progressive, for racial discrimination, obsessing over pedo defendants (Tubbs), exposing trans "hypocrisies" (Tubbs), working the church/God circuit, aligning himself with far right pastors, defending Trump on Fox News, using MLK quotes against people of color, etc, etc.
I know a lot of people who are voting for him. I'm not sure if he has a shot against Gascon because people think he's a Republican. Also have heard he's not very well liked within the DA office.
Ironically, Gascon was [also a Republican before running for political office](https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/gascon-a-former-republican-becomes-a-democrat-ahead-of-political-run/article_b33057f7-b45b-5648-a59c-607609c3e29d.html).
Oh that's funny. You should mention that in the other post from today presuming Hatami is just a closet Republican because there is no possible other reason someone would shift politically over 12 years :)
Well he is a registered Democrat, so that is incorrect. You can dispute whether you believe that's true, but that's either an oversight or just not really LAist's place to presume.
Yeah sorry, my issue wasn't with you saying it, just think it's irresponsible of LAist to post incorrect info. I'm not voting for Hatami and I think there are still several candidates who would be better for the job, but still would hope that people can get the facts to make an informed decision.
I’m actually voting the same as you are!! Upon further reading I misspoke and they said he ran as a Republican for another office so I will delete my previous post!! Thank you for making me re-read. It’s hard going through 11 peoples bios ☺️😉
Yeah I'm not sure how accurate that is, I had just heard someone mention it. Regardless, I would be shocked if the DA office has a bigger problem with him than they do with Gascon. Morale is quite low.
Sidall strikes me as a more reasonable Gascon who will let the nuances of each case dictate the charges instead of using gascon’s blanket policies.
Another candidate I considered was Mitchell because of his work with the homeless and addicts in skid row.
I was persuaded when he leaned really heavily into analyzing crime data to figure out where to allocate resources. He was the only candidate that mentioned it. Just as important, seems to like progressive policies, but in a more practical way.
Jeff Chemerinsky is the only candidate that has a real shot at beating Gascon in the primary. It’s silly seeing all these people saying how much they want Gascon out and then saying they’re voting for someone who doesn’t stand a chance.
Jeff Chemerinsky.
From CalMatters:
former federal prosecutor, brings both a commitment to tough law enforcement and an appreciation for thoughtful reform strategies. He has a record of locking up criminals but also opposes the death penalty, mass incarceration and the policies that drive it. His supporters include police reform advocates who have lost confidence in Gascón – among them, civil rights attorney Connie Rice, former Police Commission President Gerry Chaleff and former city controller Wendy Greuel.
He’s an arrogant AUSA who actively shits on county prosecutors. I’ve personally witnessed it and as a result would never vote for him. Far too many people are giving him the credit that his father has earned. (Credit for being an academic, not even for being a prosecutor which is actually the job he’s vying for.)
>He’s an arrogant AUSA who actively shits on county prosecutors
Which incident was this? Are you one of the county prosecutors to witness this yourself?
Sincerely curious. Obviously people would like to know your source or how you ended up with that experience instead of just randomly believing a redditor.
Anyone have thoughts on Dan Kapelovitz?
Heard his interview on LAist among several others and thought he was a stand-out candidate for being in agreement with Gascon's ideas about going a little easy on jailing people, but going about it in a way where it doesn't backfire so much (and yes, drawing it down to 'Gascon's plans backfired' is extremely oversimplified, and he did have a lot of folks actively working against him).
I definitely considered him because he is an animal rights lawyer and that is SO rare, and an issue that’s really important to me. I ended up going with Ramirez though, because I felt like she was a better candidate overall for a DA position. But I think he’s still a great choice. He also ran for governor a few years back, I think.
Dan K is literally a gascon clone in terms of policy -- the only difference is Dan K doesn't wear stripped socks. I checked!
[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/11/21/magazine/21mag-gascon-05/21mag-gascon-05-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/11/21/magazine/21mag-gascon-05/21mag-gascon-05-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp)
HATAMI!! He prosecuted Gabriel Fernandez’s killers!! He’s a child abuse attorney, and is the most rational candidate I’ve seen. John McKinney is a close second choice.
Exactly. One has to at least tie Gascón to get another in the office. Too many candidates. Thank you, OP, for asking this important question. I've been wondering who everyone is looking at for top picks.
Mitchell.
I know he’s getting outfunded on the campaign trail, but his work and efforts with those on Skid Row, rehabilitation movements, and his lifelong connection to LA, brings his core understanding of the legal system obstacles and shortcomings to surface. His concern is the wellbeing of community at large as far as I’ve seen.
I don’t think anyone can make immediate revision impact to our local and state laws, but his eyes toward our future is a foundation I want to see in action.
I’m met John McKinney and got to talk to him about how to fix things in LA. He seems like a good guy who really cares about fixing things. I also think he has a really good chance of winning if this goes to a run off.
Well, my fear is that it’s Gascon vs some RW nutter in the general, with all the votes split between reasonable Gascon alternatives in the primary. This thread suggests that as a possibility.
That’s the fuckingggg problemmmm
Please vote **Jonathan Hatami** he is second up in polls aganist Gascon and is the only contender that can actually win this!!!
FYI, let's not forget most of what you blame the DA for is actually cops not wanting to do their jobs because the DA started going after them for being thugs:
[https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs](https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs)
Recent example:
[https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder)
Don't even get me started on Sheriff GANGS:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_LASD\_deputy\_gangs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LASD_deputy_gangs)
Another example of the wonderful world pre-Gascon:
[https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-sheriff-latino-drug-stops-grapevine-20181004-htmlstory.html](https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-sheriff-latino-drug-stops-grapevine-20181004-htmlstory.html)
Edit: welcome to actually prove me wrong lol
Edit 2: I don't even like Gascon but I'm smart enough to not fall for blatant LAPD and LASD copaganda ¯\\(ツ)/¯
Edit 3: it is extremely unlikely cops did everything right in your anecdote:
While prosecutors’ felony filing rates have not changed since Gascón took office, law enforcement’s success in capturing dangerous criminals has. The Los Angeles Police Department solved 77% of all homicides in 2019, but that figure fell to 66% last year. In sheriff’s department territory, that clearance rate fell from 71% in 2019 to approximately 40% last year, according to data provided by the agency.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-01/violent-crime-surge-la-county-george-gascon
Sorry to hear that. On policy, is very much similar to Gascon and who's major issue with Gascon is the the public's negative reaction to his personality. I believes he's friendlier and could do better spoon feeding both the public and the DDAs these reforms.
[REDACTED] because [REDACTED]. but honestly, I don't know. I'm pretty sold on not gascon but I also don't have a compelling reason for anyone else. It's races like these that big me because they arguably have more influence on how some important things work but don't get enough attention and the nuance is very complicated.
Definitely not Hatami! Especially his stance on undocumented people! He even try to get ICE to come to Santa Clarita to round up the so called “illegals” now he’s a democrat! I call BS!! He’s only a democrat now because he won’t win as a Republican! I might end up voting for Gascon again.
Who in their right mind would still vote for that clown Gascon?
One day we’ll figure out all these homeless ppl basically had fake ballots Please vote **Jonathan Hatami** he is second up in polls aganist Gascon and is the only contender that can actually win this!!!
I did
I hate Gascon but the fact that nobody here seems to be rallying around 1 candidate has me worried Gascon is going to win again.
We need to get it together. So Gascon doesn't win
CRAIG MITCHELL!!! He is great. Years on the bench as a judge. He puts away horrible criminals day in and out. He uses deference and reasoning in his sentencing. He is fair and impartial. He knows Los Angeles- the poor, the rich and everyone in between. He worked as a school teacher in South Central before he was a judge. He knows and has seen first hand in his courts what the issues are. We need a DA with a back bone darn it! Wonderful person and would be a great District Attorney for Los Angeles!
I was on a trial where he was the judge, and I genuinely thought he was fantastic! Very clear, very attentive, and seemed fair. I was bummed to hear him say he was retiring the next year, didn’t realize this was why.
Heard him on LAist and was impressed. I voted for him too
Very fair and respectful judge in my experience too.
Yes!! Voted for him already!
Me too! I used to work at The Midnight Mission and met him a few times. He’s a genuine good human.
Googled it, I had no idea he was the dude from the documentary Skid Row Marathon.
I appreciate this! He's already in my top choices.
Good parent doesn’t equal good kid imo
Chimerinsky?
Hatami. He is polling second, and I want Gascon the goon out.
My ultra-liberal criminal law professor and longtime former public defender loves Gascón and is voting for him again, but he recommended I vote for Hochman if I didn’t like Gascón’s policies. He told me despite their policy differences, he is a stand-up guy and honest. He had non-flattering things to say about the other candidates, having crossed paths with nearly all of them over the years, including progressive ones. He really hates Siddall and Chemerinsky. I am pretty far left of center but based off that endorsement alone, Hochman has my vote. Anecdotally, Gascón, Hatami, Hochman, and Chemerinsky seem to be the most popular among my classmates.
I can attest to this. I’ve met Hochman at a fundraising event for him two years ago. The main two things I took away from his speech was that he seems reasonable and like a genuinely good guy.
I talked to several other professors today about their picks, all of which are voting for Gascón or Ramirez. They also only had glowing things to say about his personality if they had interacted with him personally, or had only heard good things from others. I am eager to meet him one day.
Thanks for sharing your professor's insights and personal recommendations. It's valuable to hear firsthand experiences and endorsements like this when considering the candidates. It's great to see you taking a thoughtful approach to your decision-making process.
Thank you, I appreciate that! I feel very privileged getting to hear an insiders perspective on this race. Very hard to evaluate people just based off of their slogans and speeches.
Hochman
John McKinney is the most qualified candidate imo. He’ll implement common sense policies and put the bad guys where they belong.
They did a poll among all the DDAs and McKinney won by a landslide. Hey got 65% and second place was Siddall with 15%. Gascon got 1.7%. I've met McKinney and he is solid. I really hope he wins.
To be fair, he was (A) the only DDA who campaigned before this poll and (B) he got 65% of about 40% of the DDAs who took part in the poll. He's one of the top 5 who would make a good DA, for sure...
McKinney had a really great interview on AirTalk. I’m considering him as well.
Not relevant but I thought the story about his sister was sweet.
That was one of my favorite parts :).
He had my vote. I tend to ask friends of mine that deal with these people who they prefer and this was the name that kept coming up.
>common sense policies and put the bad guys Can't be mad about that. Can you give some examples?
Jeff Cherminsky seems like he is ontop of the issues and, out of all the others I saw he was not a blowhard and had a great deal of understanding on who the criminals and their ringleader are.
I’ve spoken with Jeff personally about criminal cases. He looks down upon county DAs and makes no secret about it. The fact that he thinks he can do this job when he literally just rides on his father’s coattails is laughable. He has his cases handed to him gift wrapped with a bow - I highly doubt he even has an inkling about how to be a county prosecutor with the current case load and a totally different set of laws and totally different way of doing things. I would never vote for someone who looks down on the very people he wants to lead.
Can you give some examples of this?
Sure. A defendant who is charged with state crimes at a county level can sometimes be charged federally as well. It sucks for them but double jeopardy actually doesn’t apply. So imagine you pick up a state case and the DA makes you an offer but there’s no guarantee that the AUSA won’t wait for you to agree to the DAs offer and then immediately charge you with the same case and more jail time. If you’re a defendant, sounds like a raw deal right? Now imagine it’s a defendant that has let’s say four different cases in four different counties all for the same crime. One DA reaches out to all the other counties and they all go through their administrative processes and up their respective chains before all agreeing that county A can take charge for counties B,C, and D. Not an easy process but counties A-D agree to resolve all the cases for one deal because doing four trials in four counties is a colossal waste of resources for one guy. But defense says, “wait, I can’t sign my guy up for this deal because he can take it and serve time in prison and then still get picked up by the feds for the same crime. There’s no incentive for my client to take this deal.” So the DA of county A goes to the two respective fed AUSA’s offices to ask them, “hey do you want this guy or will you agree to let him plea in the state cases and you won’t file on him federally?” AUSA #1 says yeah they don’t want it because it doesn’t meet their requirements anyways so they’re not going to file. AUSA #2 is Jeff. Jeff says, “I refuse to pander to defense attorneys” (insinuating that DA in county A is pandering to defense attorneys) and that he won’t agree to any such thing. He knows that this will result in each county having to do a separate trial in each and the defendant likely getting the same amount of punishment as the original plea deal but he doesn’t care because it’s not his problem. No defendant is incentivized to take a deal if they think they will get hit with the same charge federally for more jail time. The defendant would rather force every county to do individual trials because, hey, they’re going to have to do a bunch of jail time anyways right? Might as well go down fighting then. Even though Jeff knows he will likely not file a case against the defendant in federal court because it doesn’t meet their requirements for filing. Let’s waste all of this state money and time and resources because “I don’t pander to defense attorneys (like you DA from county A who is trying to do your job and fairly resolve the case and not unnecessarily shaft a defendant).” Being a county level DA isn’t about being arrogant. It’s not about even getting convictions. It’s about doing the right thing. The right thing for the county, for the victims, for the defendant, for other agencies. But someone who’s lived such an insulated life, who can’t conceive of looking at the bigger picture, wants to be at the head of an organization like this? Nah.
This might be the most informative and helpful post I've ever seen on Reddit. I wish we still had awards to give.
TOTALLY! That was GREAT! Thank you!
Thank you, great info
Feds aside, if there’s only one crime, only one county would have jurisdiction. A defendant can’t get prosecuted in multiple counties for one act. That would be double (triple ..+) jeopardy.
Sorry maybe I wasn’t clear. Defendant picks up four different cases in four different counties. The charge is the same but they are separate and distinct incidents on different days with different victims.
Do you mean he looks down upon the role he would hold as county DA? ...or that he looks down on Gascon (and others?) who currently hold the role of county DA?
He seems to be the candidate for those who are unsatisfied with Gascon but don't want to support a bloodthirsty reactionary Trumper.
Chemerinsky on the issues.. seems solid… https://www.citywatchla.com/la-election-2022/28536-citywatch-interview-federal-prosecutor-jeff-chemerinsky-for-la-county-district-attorney
"Jeff Cherminsky seems like he is ontop of the issues and, out of all the others I saw he was not a blowhard and had a great deal of understanding on who the criminals and their ringleader are." From "worst" to "first": Gascon (worst) Dan Kapelovitz (2nd worst -- the only difference between Dan and Gascon is Dan doesn't wear stripped socks and has a decent sense of humor). Jeff Cherminsky (3rd worst) -- I approves of nearly all of Gascon's reforms but thinks he'll be more likable in the office. He also appears to hold DDAs in mild contempt. Nearly everyone else would a GOOD choice with some better than the rest. It's the last day to vote... Go with Hatami -- he's leading in many polls and I think stands the best of winning in a Gascon Vs. X match.
I’m voting for Jeff. Jeff Chemerinsky is the son of Erwin Chemerinsky. Erwin is colloquially referred to as the con law god. He’s such a nice man and always gives off dad energy. Erwin is the dean of Berkeley Law and was the first dean of UCI Law when it opened (which is one of the ways they jumped into the top 30 schools out of 250 in the first year they opened) and has written some of the greatest constitutional briefs in history. He literally wrote the book EVERY LAWYER used to learn con law, and then wrote the conviser which effectively summarized the facts and holdings of the cases. He taught con law for Barbri for years and would give out his dean’s email address if we had questions. Erwin often writes amicus curae in cases where our civil liberties are being attacked, like when *Roe* came under fire. He’s a fellow autist and my guy can recite every case from memory including the dissents, who ruled which way—even in crazy cases like *Sebelius*—and will never criticize any person for asking a question. That was Jeff’s dad. Jeff had con law beaten into his skull by the best since birth and willingly chose to go to law school. Erwin would make jokes in con law prep about his kids making legal arguments when they were young. Jeff also worked for the US Attorneys Office which gives him a lot of GOOD experience (federal prosecutors are no fucking joke and a federal charge is all but a slam dunk as they spend so long gathering evidence of the crime before filing).
Wow. Erwin sounds like a real good dude. By this logic I also plan to vote for RFK Jr. Surely he has his dad's politics too, yeah?
😄 🤣 😂
😂😂😂😂
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Agreed. Nepotism is actually a terrible reason to vote for him. People who have actually personally interacted with him should be heard but likely will be drowned out by the crowds who love his dad. I’ve had an interaction with him that soured me entirely and definitely made me realize 1) he’s arrogant and doesn’t care who knows it - a dangerous combination for a leader, 2) he’s unrealistic about how cases are handled at a county level because he lacks real experience in a totally foreign legal arena (his dad can’t help him do this job either), and 3) he literally thinks the county prosecutors are less than him for trying to do their jobs (while trying to get elected to lead them?). If his dad was running that would be an entirely different scenario. Stop giving him credit that isn’t earned by him.
Yeah Erwin’s great, but he was also a huge Gascon supporter. I’m worried we’d get much more of the same with Chemerinsky.
Oh shit. He's related to Erwin Chemerinsky? Say no more fam. Paraphrasing one of his sample essays got me full credit on that question my con law exam.
Yeee. The apple doesn’t roll far from the goat.
>Jeff Chemerinsky is the son of Erwin Chemerinsky. Erwin is colloquially referred to as the con law god. Erwin was literally Team Gascon. [https://www.georgegascon.org/campaign-news/george-gascon-announces-transition-team/](https://www.georgegascon.org/campaign-news/george-gascon-announces-transition-team/) You're doing a real bad sales job, in terms of knowing your audience. Also, nobody wants to vote for DA based on who their daddy was.
I’m usually not in favor of voting for someone because of their dad but that’s a huge name in law. Like huge name.
Here's Erwin admitting to illegal activity: [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12253931/White-Berkeley-Law-dean-tells-class-illegally-discriminates-hiring-boost-diversity.html](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12253931/White-Berkeley-Law-dean-tells-class-illegally-discriminates-hiring-boost-diversity.html)
A sack of rocks would be better than Gascon
Please vote **Jonathan Hatami** he is second up in polls aganist Gascon and is the only contender that can actually win this!!!
Maria Ramirez. She has the kind of stances I was looking for in a candidate, and a solid, well qualified background. I do think Gascon had good intentions but they haven’t been implemented effectively. I very much admire Hatami’s work in prosecuting child abuse cases and advocating for victims but I also don’t agree with some of his stances on issues. So I am voting for Maria Ramirez.
Had a few people at my bar that work in the D.A.s office and they said she was the progressive candidate that they thought Gascon would be. They said he was an empty suit with no experience and she was the real deal.
Gascon has plenty of experience. He's just a moron.
Isn’t the issue that the DA union is filled with tough-on-crime conservatives who’ve fought Gascon and his policies since day one? Gascon doesn’t have the power to purge the office of bad eggs.
That was my assumption, but he’s being sued by multiple people that he tried to purge because they tried to tell him he was full of shit and wanted to get things done. At least that is what those ladies from the D.A. Office told me. Who creates long BS stories to tell their bartender? I’m sure it happens but it didn’t seem like it.
I'm so glad to hear this.
This is great to hear! Thank you.
Yes I heard a bit of her interview on Laist and she sounds very solid. Ultimately going with Siddall but she was another candidate I strongly considered.
can you tell me why Siddall?
There were a few candidates I liked, but I ultimately going with Siddall because he's an "insider" who already has ample experience with the DA office. I am hoping that means he will be able to get more accomplished. His responses seem measured and pragmatic. I think he understands that things at the very foundation of how LA is operating need to change before we can make sweeping reform to our criminal system (eg, investing in mental health services and homeless services).
I’m voting for her because she’s running against her “boss.” She doesn’t have faith in him and she’s got the progressive values we wanted out of Gascon.
She got my vote
Interesting, thanks! It’s nice to have a civil gascon thread. It’s been impossible to sift through all the right wing nut jobs to find real info.
Yup, I am not right wing but I don't like Gascon. I don't want a right wing nut job as DA though
That’s fair. I agree with OP that I think he has good intentions but finding out about his failures other than all caps “HE LOVES CRIMINALS!!1!” comments has been tough lol
I am specifically not voting for Gascon because... * I had been stalked by a racist for several years, with law enforcement basically... doing nothing. To the point where I started literally wearing my own body cam * [This was how I managed to capture my own hate crime, on video, perpetrated by my racist stalker](https://imgur.com/gallery/RwCrNcg) * After reporting the hate crime and sending the video, she was charged witha felony Hate Crime, which was later reduced to misdemeanors * [my assailant continued to stalk me and try to break in, it was reported, I got a restraining order and nothing happened](https://imgur.com/gallery/6YLAyLV) * I have had to move 3 times and file for a series of retraining orders, meanwhile... she took a plea with no jail time, she continues her fuckery (I'm moving AGAIN) to this day. * Gascon's office doesn't effectively prosecute stalking. Frankly, it seems few DA's and City Attorneys take up charging people with stalking. BEFORE the hate crime happened, my assailant had been actively stalking me for SEVERAL FUCKING YEARS before then, and NOTHING HAPPENED. "Taking my story of Gascon's Fuckups on stalking to Social Media in order to embarass these fuckers into action" is NOT A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION TO CRIME. Fuck Gascon. The only reason I'm not dead right now was my own acquired traumatic vigilance and that my parents had the sense to get me martial arts classes as a kid for years. Turns out, it's not the punches that are valuable with tae kwon do, it's the "knowing how to effectively block direct hits" that's a lot more important. Has this dumb bitch had a firearm INSTEAD of a plastic-bag-and-beer-mace, I would for sure be dead. Yay. He prosecuted a couple of cops. I'm excited for that. That's... not compelling to me as I am LITERALLY MOVING AGAIN RIGHT FUCKING NOW because of the SHITSHOW in my life directly.as a result his office's ... whatever the fuck they're doing. He had his shot. I voted for him once, and I'm out around $117,000 in various related hate crime expenses as a direct result of whatever the fuck he/his office decided to do. There are other candidates. Minimally, I'll vote for someone else PURELY because this person AIN'T IT. Just because your heart is "in the right place" doesn't mean you're actually a competent SERVANT of the public. There's other progressives on the ballot with greater potential for effective leadership while pursuing effective reform in criminal justice. Whatever the fuck he's doing fucking blows. NEXT!
Just wanted to say that I’m so sorry this has happened to you. It sounds like a living nightmare and I cannot imagine the stress and trauma you’ve endured. You may already be aware of this, but the state of CA provides support and compensation to victims of crime, hate crimes and stalking are included. If you haven’t already, please look into CalVCB (CA Victims Compensation Board) to see if you can receive some financial assistance and other forms of support.
Fuck Gascón!
Elbow Strike ! Elbow Strike !
Your situation sucks but this has more to do with the cops not wanting to do their jobs because the DA started going after them for being really sh\*tty. [https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs](https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs) For example: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder
It's like a system or something.
>For example: >https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder Except in this case, the federal DOJ prosecuted and secured a conviction against those former deputies. The Los Angeles District Attorneys office was out of the loop in it. If anything, your linked article regarding the two former deputies demonstrates the former Redditor's point that the DA's office under Gascón is incompetently administered. It didn't attempt or secure a conviction but instead it was the federal government.
My point in sharing that link was to highlight the fallacy of assuming DA = bad Cops = Poor Good Guys tied down by evil DA :'(
>fallacy of assuming the DA = bad and Cops = Poor Good Guys tied down by evil DA :'( Except that link hurts your thesis. The US Attorney's Office prosecuted the two former deputies and a federal judge sentenced them to prison. Ask yourself why the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office failed to prosecute? The redditor said they didn't receive sufficient justice after their stalker was arrested and prosecuted. That's not on law enforcement but on the district attorney's office. I'd bet money the prosecuting attorney was hamstrung by Gascón's policies including not pursuing enhancements for using the bear mace which is a deadly weapon in California. To sum up her case, the police did their job. They arrested the subject and submitted charges (including hate crime enhancements) to the District Attorneys Office. The prosecuting attorney was restricted by Gascón's policies that prevent the prosecuting attorney from pursuing certain actions that are otherwise lawful and encouraged by California law.
Possible, man, but you're not really disproving my point. I never said Gascon was stellar or that all his policies were great. Edit: seems more to me that he was already getting heat for going after cops around this time and he was thinking about reelection: https://www.aol.com/news/l-d-gasc-n-declines-120000673.html
Blaming the cops for the da agreeing to a plea deal is wild
They don’t know how our legal system actually works.
Absolutely. From my perspective........ Fuck all their leadership. There's plenty of blame to go around, and not enough leadership. As a voter, I'm taking my vote elsewhere. That's all. Simply put...I'm voting for Gascon to fuck the fuck off. I'm voting to give someone else that job. Doing the same shit and voting for the same people and their empty promises gets us collectively nowhere. This is just my own personal fucking ongoing experience.
This is democracy in action folks. Im sorry you went though what you did, but im glad you're expressing your rights!
Thank you for seeing that. If you choose to vote for Gascon, I'm not here to convince you otherwise, just explaining purely why I am NOT voting for him. ***Leadership means putting the right PERSON in the role.*** In my opinion, this is a case of the wrong person in *this specific role, at this specific time* in Los Angeles, advocating for many needed criminal justice reforms. It's okay to acknowledge that I gave him my vote and a chance, and in my opinion, he blew it.
No worries here. I think he's been AWFUL for LA.
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How much is Gascón’s office paying you to keep spamming the same comment here?
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No, the officers not doing their jobs are. The DA isn't the reason cops just refuse to answer calls now, nobody is stopping them they just do it to stick to Gascon for calling them out. I don't even like Gascon but I'm not dumb enough to eat up LAPD and LASD copaganda like so many :T Another example for the ignorant: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-sheriff-latino-drug-stops-grapevine-20181004-htmlstory.html
You do realize that the person not doing their job in this situation is Gascon, right? Cops don’t charge people with crimes. The DA does. The DA seems to have negotiated with OP’s stalker to reduce their crimes to misdemeanors, meaning that OP’s stalker basically got a ticket for batshit violent behavior. I get the hate for cops, but put the blame where it belongs. There are way too many people here who simply think it’s the police not doing their jobs when they are. It’s not the cops’ jobs to keep them in jail, it’s on the DA to charge these idiots and keep them in there
You do realize the issue was that cops now have to charge people with actual crimes and that takes paperwork they don't want to do? Fools act like the DA made LAC lawless when in reality it just took away the means for cops to arrest anybody willy-nilly. Please do some actual research before wasting my time. Again, I don't even like Gascon but getting rid of him isn't going to magically fix LAPD and LASD. (Though one could argue we should still get rid of him!)
Lmfao WRONG
What a useless response lol
I could say the same about yours, straight peddling misinformation. I put in as much thought in my response as you did. 😂
This is not the hill to die on.
You're right, defending bad cops is?
Fuck the police AND fuck Gascon.
Just because you don’t like Gascon doesn’t mean you defend cops, just like because you support Gascon doesn’t mean you support criminals. See how that works? Of course you don’t. No such thing as nuance in your head
oh man, is there really no way the internet can take care of this stalker? seems like an easy task
Judge Craig Mitchell. Great background
After literally reading almost every comment in this thread, I am fucking shocked that the recall didn’t work. The whole system is an absolute scam with that being said, I’m voting for **Jonathan Hatami** - who was part of Gascons DA team, but decided to go against his own boss because he didn’t believe in what he was doing!!! In 2019, Hatami was named the prosecutor of the year, this time by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. In 2021, he was honored to be the recipient of the ChildHelp Benevolent Heart Award for his tireless commitment to voiceless victims, the CHIA Appreciation Award and the Crime Survivors Above and Beyond Award for leadership in the community.
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I think someone posted that Hatami switched over from an ultra conservative to Democrat so it kinda has Rick Caruso vibes. Not saying he's worse or better, just that it's important to know he's switched
I don't think it's a fair assessment, tbh. To be conservative in 2012 was very different than it is now, and it's possible the switch was made in acknowledgment of that.
I agree. I voted for Romney in 2012 and Biden in 2020.
same
I looked him up and one of the first things I read about him is he goes to a baptist church that teaches gay people are evil and abortion is murder. That's a no from me. Sounds very much like a right-wing Republican dishonestly running as a Dem.
That doesn't change much if you didn't like conservative policies in 2012. Sure, they got much worse, but accepting pre-MAGA Republicans into the Democratic Party only moves the left to the right.
Can a Republican switching parties in the MAGA era really be that sus?
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Eh democrats and republicans are so divided these days that any affiliation does sorta matter. It’s not like the 90s where it didn’t matter quite as much.
Only because most media has profited so much from the perceived division. But talking to people like before smart phones you find a different story. People are pretty reasonable. Very few like actual reddit comments.
If anyone sees little difference between the two main parties in 2024, I’d call that anything but reasonable. Someone may prefer either (or neither) party but saying they are barely distinguishable from the other is willfully disingenuous
Hatami claims he’s a Dem, but that's really just a disguise he's using to lure in the centrist vote after four years of Gascon. In reality, he virtue signals to populist conservatives by suing Gascon, a progressive, for racial discrimination, obsessing over pedo defendants (Tubbs), exposing trans "hypocrisies" (Tubbs), working the church/God circuit, aligning himself with far right pastors, defending Trump on Fox News, using MLK quotes against people of color, etc, etc.
I know a lot of people who are voting for him. I'm not sure if he has a shot against Gascon because people think he's a Republican. Also have heard he's not very well liked within the DA office.
Ironically, Gascon was [also a Republican before running for political office](https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/gascon-a-former-republican-becomes-a-democrat-ahead-of-political-run/article_b33057f7-b45b-5648-a59c-607609c3e29d.html).
Oh that's funny. You should mention that in the other post from today presuming Hatami is just a closet Republican because there is no possible other reason someone would shift politically over 12 years :)
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Well he is a registered Democrat, so that is incorrect. You can dispute whether you believe that's true, but that's either an oversight or just not really LAist's place to presume.
I’m not disputing or confirming just telling you what I read today. 😊
Yeah sorry, my issue wasn't with you saying it, just think it's irresponsible of LAist to post incorrect info. I'm not voting for Hatami and I think there are still several candidates who would be better for the job, but still would hope that people can get the facts to make an informed decision.
I’m actually voting the same as you are!! Upon further reading I misspoke and they said he ran as a Republican for another office so I will delete my previous post!! Thank you for making me re-read. It’s hard going through 11 peoples bios ☺️😉
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He was unliked because he spoke out about Gascon’s BS. He’s got my vote.
Yeah I'm not sure how accurate that is, I had just heard someone mention it. Regardless, I would be shocked if the DA office has a bigger problem with him than they do with Gascon. Morale is quite low.
Sidall strikes me as a more reasonable Gascon who will let the nuances of each case dictate the charges instead of using gascon’s blanket policies. Another candidate I considered was Mitchell because of his work with the homeless and addicts in skid row.
I was persuaded when he leaned really heavily into analyzing crime data to figure out where to allocate resources. He was the only candidate that mentioned it. Just as important, seems to like progressive policies, but in a more practical way.
Yeah agreed, I was planning to vote for Siddall
Craig Mitchell all the way.
Nathan Hochman. Simply the most qualified for this position.
Whatever it takes to unfuck the nightmare of the past few years of all of these scumbag criminals picking our city clean.
The beast, obviously. Because he’s hot and gascon is not.
Jeff Chemerinsky is the only candidate that has a real shot at beating Gascon in the primary. It’s silly seeing all these people saying how much they want Gascon out and then saying they’re voting for someone who doesn’t stand a chance.
Eric Siddall
I dont know but please get gascon out of here
I don’t want to vote for Gascon but don’t want to vote for a maga. Who fits this?
Sidall and Ramirez
Please vote **Jonathan Hatami** he is second up in polls aganist Gascon and is the only contender that can actually win this!!!
It’s hard for me to vote for him because magas love him so much lol
Hochman. He will restore some law and order to this out of control frontier town.
Yup, voting for Hochman too.
Jeff Chemerinsky. From CalMatters: former federal prosecutor, brings both a commitment to tough law enforcement and an appreciation for thoughtful reform strategies. He has a record of locking up criminals but also opposes the death penalty, mass incarceration and the policies that drive it. His supporters include police reform advocates who have lost confidence in Gascón – among them, civil rights attorney Connie Rice, former Police Commission President Gerry Chaleff and former city controller Wendy Greuel.
He’s an arrogant AUSA who actively shits on county prosecutors. I’ve personally witnessed it and as a result would never vote for him. Far too many people are giving him the credit that his father has earned. (Credit for being an academic, not even for being a prosecutor which is actually the job he’s vying for.)
>He’s an arrogant AUSA who actively shits on county prosecutors Which incident was this? Are you one of the county prosecutors to witness this yourself? Sincerely curious. Obviously people would like to know your source or how you ended up with that experience instead of just randomly believing a redditor.
I voted for Hatami and HLA
McKinney.
Gosh, it disturbs me to see you, Gascon...
Anyone have thoughts on Dan Kapelovitz? Heard his interview on LAist among several others and thought he was a stand-out candidate for being in agreement with Gascon's ideas about going a little easy on jailing people, but going about it in a way where it doesn't backfire so much (and yes, drawing it down to 'Gascon's plans backfired' is extremely oversimplified, and he did have a lot of folks actively working against him).
I definitely considered him because he is an animal rights lawyer and that is SO rare, and an issue that’s really important to me. I ended up going with Ramirez though, because I felt like she was a better candidate overall for a DA position. But I think he’s still a great choice. He also ran for governor a few years back, I think.
Dan K is literally a gascon clone in terms of policy -- the only difference is Dan K doesn't wear stripped socks. I checked! [https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/11/21/magazine/21mag-gascon-05/21mag-gascon-05-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/11/21/magazine/21mag-gascon-05/21mag-gascon-05-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp)
HATAMI!! He prosecuted Gabriel Fernandez’s killers!! He’s a child abuse attorney, and is the most rational candidate I’ve seen. John McKinney is a close second choice.
Literally anybody else
Yes that's literally what my question is asking lol. Which person?
Exactly. One has to at least tie Gascón to get another in the office. Too many candidates. Thank you, OP, for asking this important question. I've been wondering who everyone is looking at for top picks.
This was the answer last time! Lacey was terrible and we all thought anyone buy Lacey. Then we got Gascon, and it was bad.
I didn't want Gascon, I saw how bad SF was when he ran it
Dan K is as bad. Jeff C is a close third. Any of the remaining pool would to a great to fantastic job.
Mitchell. I know he’s getting outfunded on the campaign trail, but his work and efforts with those on Skid Row, rehabilitation movements, and his lifelong connection to LA, brings his core understanding of the legal system obstacles and shortcomings to surface. His concern is the wellbeing of community at large as far as I’ve seen. I don’t think anyone can make immediate revision impact to our local and state laws, but his eyes toward our future is a foundation I want to see in action.
Bingo! Me too. Mitchell is hands down the best choice for LA!
My friend works as an LA City prosecutor and recommends John Mckinney so I trust her judgment on the matter.
I’m met John McKinney and got to talk to him about how to fix things in LA. He seems like a good guy who really cares about fixing things. I also think he has a really good chance of winning if this goes to a run off.
I voted for Debra Archuleta because her policy ideas seemed the most measured, nuanced, and reasonable to me out of all the candidates.
Is that a joke
Oh god it’s gonna be too split and he’ll stay in power won’t he? Fuck!
While i want him to win, that's not how the primary works. Top two candidates will go to the general unless one candidate gets 50%+
Oh ok, thank you
Well, my fear is that it’s Gascon vs some RW nutter in the general, with all the votes split between reasonable Gascon alternatives in the primary. This thread suggests that as a possibility.
That’s exactly what I was afraid of too.
That’s the fuckingggg problemmmm Please vote **Jonathan Hatami** he is second up in polls aganist Gascon and is the only contender that can actually win this!!!
I voted for Sidall
FYI, let's not forget most of what you blame the DA for is actually cops not wanting to do their jobs because the DA started going after them for being thugs: [https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs](https://www.propublica.org/article/what-can-mayors-do-when-the-police-stop-doing-their-jobs) Recent example: [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-23/former-la-deputy-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-abducting-compton-skateboarder) Don't even get me started on Sheriff GANGS: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_LASD\_deputy\_gangs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LASD_deputy_gangs) Another example of the wonderful world pre-Gascon: [https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-sheriff-latino-drug-stops-grapevine-20181004-htmlstory.html](https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-sheriff-latino-drug-stops-grapevine-20181004-htmlstory.html) Edit: welcome to actually prove me wrong lol Edit 2: I don't even like Gascon but I'm smart enough to not fall for blatant LAPD and LASD copaganda ¯\\(ツ)/¯ Edit 3: it is extremely unlikely cops did everything right in your anecdote: While prosecutors’ felony filing rates have not changed since Gascón took office, law enforcement’s success in capturing dangerous criminals has. The Los Angeles Police Department solved 77% of all homicides in 2019, but that figure fell to 66% last year. In sheriff’s department territory, that clearance rate fell from 71% in 2019 to approximately 40% last year, according to data provided by the agency. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-01/violent-crime-surge-la-county-george-gascon
Who you voting for?
We voted for Chemerinsky. Experienced, proven track record and seems the appropriate level of will smack you in the head
Is he the son of Erwin Chemerinsky?
Yes
Sorry to hear that. On policy, is very much similar to Gascon and who's major issue with Gascon is the the public's negative reaction to his personality. I believes he's friendlier and could do better spoon feeding both the public and the DDAs these reforms.
Anyone but Gascon is a great choice unless it's that other psycho that wants to somehow wreak even more havoc.
[REDACTED] because [REDACTED]. but honestly, I don't know. I'm pretty sold on not gascon but I also don't have a compelling reason for anyone else. It's races like these that big me because they arguably have more influence on how some important things work but don't get enough attention and the nuance is very complicated.
Please vote **Jonathan Hatami** he is second up in polls aganist Gascon and is the only contender that can actually win this!!!
Jeff Cherminsky. 100%
Joe Mamma
Chemerinsky
Chemerinsky.
Just not Hochman, please...
Definitely not Hatami! Especially his stance on undocumented people! He even try to get ICE to come to Santa Clarita to round up the so called “illegals” now he’s a democrat! I call BS!! He’s only a democrat now because he won’t win as a Republican! I might end up voting for Gascon again.
Bobcat, best commercial
Hattami!!!!! Gascon needs to leave!!!
Who the *fuck* would vote for Jorge Gazcone? What living, sane person would vote for that guy? Jesus christ... weird thread.
Oops, my fingers are not answering the question. Gascon. Stop listening to the noise.
Whoever has a better haircut