George Gascón. (Photo: Youtube)
Los Angeles DA George Gascón Favoring Criminals over Victims in New Policies
‘Crime victims and protecting the public against violent criminals does not matter to him’
By Katy Grimes, December 18, 2020 10:04 am
Newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón hit the ground running. Within minutes of being sworn in, Gascón announced he would be getting rid of all crime enhancements, and eliminating cash bail, despite California voters rejecting the elimination of cash bail in the November election.
In a statement on his first day, D.A. George Gascón said this:
“The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office will advance an effective, ethical and racially equitable system of justice that protects the community, restores victims of crime, and honors the rights of the accused. We are a learning organization that believes in reduced incarceration and punishment except in circumstances in which it is proportional, in the community’s interest, and serves a rehabilitative or restorative purpose.”
Gascón says he believes enhancements are ineffective and racist and claims his policies are not unethical. Except his role as a District Attorney and prosecutor, is to be the chief prosecutor for a local government county.
Gascón has also threatened to fire any of the attorneys in his office who disagree with his policies.
What are enhancements, and why do they matter?
California Globe talked with Sacramento County District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert about enhancements and why they are in the California Penal Code.
As Schubert explained, enhancements are add ons to crimes. For most crimes, the penal code specifies a range of possible punishments, “depending on what’s happening during the crime.”
“One of the most basic enhancements is the use of a gun or weapon in a crime,” she said. “Another is if great bodily injury is inflicted on someone during the commission of a crime.”
Other enhancements are hate crimes and gang crimes.
“You’ve heard of the three-strikes law in California… there is also a one-strike law, passed in 1994,” Schubert explained. “If you break into a home and rape someone… rape with bodily injury is one-strike.”
“In Gascón’s directives, he doesn’t specify, other than he’s dropping all enhancements,” D.A. Schubert said.
“George Gascón has never been nor will he ever be a real prosecutor,” Schubert said. “The core principle of being a real prosecutor is standing up for victims’ rights. Within two minutes of being sworn in as the District Attorney of Los Angeles County, he made it abundantly clear that crime victims and protecting the public against violent criminals does not matter to him. It speaks volumes that Mr. Gascón has no time to meet with families of murder victims yet finds time to speak to inmate rights groups. “
Schubert said Gascón also even wants to recall previous cases, and create a fund in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office to pay the funeral expenses any time a LA cop kills someone. “Imagine a guy threatens to shoot up a school. The cops arrive and get into a fire fight with him, and end up killing him,” Schubert said. “The Los Angeles D.A. offers to pay the funeral expenses?”
But Gascón still hasn’t said anything about victims.
The best example Schubert said, is Joseph D’Angelo, known as the East Area Rapist in Sacramento, and Golden State Killer statewide, in the 1970’s and 1980’s. His case went cold for years until 2018, when D’Angelo was arrested and charged with killing 12 people and raping another 45 victims between 1975 and 1986.
D’Angelo was eventually sentenced to life without parole for killing 13 people and raping 50 throughout the state.
Under Gascón’s new policies, “Joseph D’Angelo would be eligible for parole in Los Angeles!” Schubert said.
Sacramento District Attorney Schubert was responsible for the capture of D’Angelo using DNA evidence from old crime scenes, eventually tapping into genealogical websites for a match.
Here is Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert announcing the arrest of Jospeh D’Angelo in April 2018:
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September 19, 2018
The people of CA voted to keep the bail system in the last election. Gascon doesn’t have the authority to do as he wishes and ignore state law. Also, enhancements are written in CA state law, and he is required by law to follow the law. If he disagrees with these laws, then he should resign immediately. Or better yet, let’s all RECALL his ass now and save countless future victims of this non-prosecutor.
Let me guess. He has a bullet proof limo and a 20 man armed guard army around him at all times.
In exasperation, I don’t know what to say about LA County at this point. How could a guy like this ever be elected as DA? Shakes head and walks away….
Soros put 2.5 Million into his campaign.
I think the election results with those brand new LA Dominion machines in LA are suspect. No way Angelinos were stupid enough to elect this guy.
Thank you so much for covering this, Katy. Gascon is a NIGHTMARE, as you can see. God help us in L.A. County. I’m on board that L.A. County did not elect this guy. HINT: “Smartmatic” (aka Dominion) machines were debuted with much fanfare in L.A. County in Sept. 2019. As well as other election shenanigans employed; the usual stuff, I’m sure of it.
Forgot to add, for the record, those L.A. County “Smartmatic” machines (Dominion by another name), which were installed in September 2019 cost taxpayers $300,000,000. You read that right: THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
The criminals are now running the government. Being a law abiding citizen marks you for destruction.
Sure looks like it, doesn’t it?
Comrades
In the old totalitarian days, an ample supply of criminals was available to inflict the will….. of those who quietly unleashed them.
Well, looking for a silver lining to THIS particular California cloud – THIS asswipe should chase enough thinking citizens out of LA that my Ventura County property values should INCREASE from the demand caused by others fleeing this particular brand of stupidity…
And to the other posters’ credit – the deployment of Dominion Voting Systems machines in 2019 is a curious byproduct of this election outcome…
California is a lost cause unless we rise up against these forces of darkness, people…
Yes, ExCaliExpat, Ventura County is looking pretty darn good right about now.
It’s kind of like being on the rim of the toilet bowl, instead of in it. This STATE needs to be fixed.
Empty the prisons so Newsomlini and Gascon can fill them with those that don’t wear a mask? History will not be kind to these people.
OK, He had his short time in the sun. time to get the recall effort in full swing.
Amen… Time for a forensic audit of LA City voting machines..
And the 300 million dollar contract used to procure them, as well..
My understanding is the the City DA unlike every other elected official in a Home Rule City / County has a separate very well defined constitutional role in the State justice apparatus. A unique legal status in fact for a local government elected official. And given the City DA’s very specific obligations under Prop 8 in 1982 and Prop 9 in 2008 to defend Victims Rights I’d say haul the guy up in front of a civil grand jury and have him explain why he is failing to uphold his constitution obligations very explicitly spelled out in the state constitutions to uphold victims rights above all other factors. He has already made very public declarations that contravene his constitutionally mandated obligations of office toward victims rights.
And I’d recall the utter slime-ball too. I’ve seen how his vicious incompetence destroyed the SF City DA’s office. He will do the same to LA.
Wow, I would love to see this happen. I also like the idea of having him disbarred. Unfortunately the State Bar has become more leftist over the years like everything else in CA. So I won’t hold my breath for either of these outcomes.