LOS ANGELES (AP) – Incoming Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón will be sworn in Monday and plans to immediately introduce progressive policies that would revamp the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office.
Gascón has pledged to stop charging juveniles as adults, cease using sentencing enhancements for suspected gang members, prohibit prosecutors from seeking the death penalty – including withdrawing capital punishment filings in current prosecutions – and reopen at least four investigations of controversial police shootings.
A former San Francisco district attorney and Los Angeles police assistant chief, Gascón has already drawn the ire of prosecutors in his own office as well as members of the Los Angeles Police Department. His first major meeting upon winning his race was with Black Lives Matter organizers, who were critical of outgoing District Attorney Jackie Lacey.
Gascón has also promised more reforms to keep low-level offenders, drug users and those who are mentally ill out of jail.
