Although the most recent polls give Los Angeles County Attorney George Gascón a difference of up to 30 points behind his challenger, former federal prosecutor Nathan Hotchman is confident that he will be re-elected for another four years.
“These surveys sometimes have many deficiencies, they focus on people who have voted regularly in the last elections, and we know that in elections like those in November, we are going to have many new voters,” said the prosecutor in an interview with The Opinion.
He recalled that the 2016, 2020 and 2022 surveys were quite wrong; In 2016 they showed Hillary Clinton who came out ahead and lost.
“We have the support of the community, the unions, the Democratic Party, the African American and white community, many organizations, clubs and elected officials such as Congressman Roberto García, Supervisor Hilda Solís, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martínez.”
So while still recognizing that the campaign for the prosecutor’s office is a very close election, he says that they are going to turn out well.
“I hope that when people realize that I am the only Democrat and Latino, people will change and give me their vote. “In addition, it must be said that there has been a lot of misinformation and lies.”
He stated that if voters want a prosecutor in Los Angeles County who agrees with the death penalty, mass incarceration, and children going to adult prisons, they should vote for his opponent.
“But if you believe that public safety should be a joint effort by the community, the police and prosecutors and there is room to rehabilitate with more humanity, you should vote for me.”
Prosecutor Gascón has been accused of the increase in crime in Los Angeles County, and responds that crime began to rise nationally in 2020, and it did not start until December of that year.
“Crime continued to rise until the 23rd nationwide, and started to go down in the middle of the 23rd and 24th.”
He points out that when we talk about the crime rate, we must take into account that in some cities in the county it has gone down and in others it has not, and many times they blame it for criminal acts that happen in other jurisdictions around Los Angeles County, where there are other prosecutors.
“We have prosecuted more than 100,000 cases, the same average of the last 10 years. Of the more than 11,000 cases of shoplifting, we have prosecuted more than 90%, a very high average.”
He says that when it comes to a small theft, those do not reach their office, since they only deal with serious and serious crimes.
“We prosecute those aggressively. “It is very important to clarify that the police have to make an arrest, the prosecutor evaluates how they are going to prosecute, and the jury decides if they are found guilty, what kind of sentence, the prosecutor has no part in that.”
Note that when someone is released on bail, that is determined by the court.
“There is a lot of confusion regarding the role of prosecutors, of the police, of the court, and that is a part where we have to educate the community because many right-wing groups are horrifying people.”
On Thursday, October 24, Prosecutor Gascón announced his decision to recommend that brothers Erik Menéndez, 53, and Lyle Menéndez, 56, who have been in custody for 35 years for the murders of their father and mother, Jose and Kitty Menéndez in 1989, be reset.
“In the first trial, the jury could not reach an agreement; and in the second trial, the prosecutor’s office tried to get them the death penalty, but they were unsuccessful. These brothers have been in prison for 35 years, they have been model, exceptional people, helping others, so it is recommended that they be released,” says the prosecutor.
However, he mentions that there are people in his office who are opposed and believe that they were never sexually assaulted.
On the other hand, he specifies that in the time he has been prosecutor they have exonerated 14 people, most of them Latinos and African Americans.
“Some boys convicted of murder, and it has been proven that they did not commit that murder, have been locked up for 18 years. There is a lot of information that was not given to the court. The boy admits the forced crime, and says things that don’t add up. That was not offered to the defense, and when they were convicted, there was no physical evidence. Three of the witnesses said they look alike, but there are many doubts as to whether he was identified. “There are people in my office who insist on keeping them in prison and oppose their exoneration.”
Why didn’t you prosecute the people who illegally recorded three councilors and a union leader?
“In the examination we did, it did not qualify as a major crime. Therefore, my office did not fit to prosecute them and we turned it over to the Los Angeles city attorney, Yes we believe that there was a crime, but a minor one. “Unfortunately we do not agree with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s decision to do nothing.”
If he wins re-election, what can we expect for the next four years and what is his message for Latinos?
- Continue with great commitment to protect the well-being and public safety of vulnerable communities, protect the immigrant community from deportations, and above all that we do not go back to over-incarceration and allowing police impunity; and we will continue to do labor justice. We have assisted more than 350 employees, mostly Latinos and immigrants, with investigations involving $2,750,000 in stolen wages.