Court blocks some of Los Angeles DA's progressive policies

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

BRIAN MELLEY,
Associated Press
Feb. 8, 2021
Updated: Feb. 8, 2021 7:28 p.m.



LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County prosecutors took the progressive new district attorney to court and won a ruling Monday blocking some criminal justice reforms he instituted to reduce prison sentences.

Superior Court Judge James Chalfant issued a preliminary injunction blocking some directives District Attorney George Gascon issued to end enhancements that can add years to prison sentences.

Gascon said he would appeal.

Gascon took office in December and immediately put in place reforms that he campaigned on, such as vowing not to seek the death penalty, not prosecute juveniles as adults and ending the use of sentencing enhancements that trigger stiffer sentences for certain elements of crimes, repeat offenses or being a gang member. Gascon has argued that enhancements don't make communities safer.

Gascon, who overcame opposition from law enforcement unions during his campaign to unseat two-term incumbent Jackie Lacey, quickly found himself facing stiff opposition from within his office.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Court-blocks-some-of-Los-Angeles-DA-s-progressive-15934779.php

[mezame]

1. I'm From LA

It's been painfully obvious in LA going way back, but only visually optic since Rodney King's brutal beating. Further up the food chain, here we have leftovers in the LA County prosecutors' office(s) 'complaining' about the man's much-needed campaign reforms that directly affect their caseload, hence their pockets.

Fucking corrupt racist bastards, all of them.

DEFUND THE POLICE!

[Maxheader]

2. A balance between releasing people that have learned their lesson..

And those that haven't...had a buddy at sikorsky, contractor like me..

Exercise freak originally from La. Said he occasionally worked out

with the cops. They were animals he said. LA was a really tough

city for the law ...

[OldBaldy1701E]

3. Look here Mr. Gascon

stop trying to remove our perks and grifting ways! We can't be mini-tyrants and attack people with impunity if you make things better for anyone other than us! Now stop it!

[TruckFump]

4. IMO, DAs are usually assholes who do not care about justice, but covet their "win" records.

My law partner was a major Crim Def atty after having been a US prosecutor and then having come over to the correct side of counsel table. Most of the crap that the LA DAs are going after are drug offenses...a lot of which is possession for sale. IIRC, more people in the Cal prison system are there for drug offenses than for anything else.

I did not like Lacey and IMO, Gascon is not great, but he sure heck is better than what we had before him.

Edit for typos

[safeinOhio]

5. Time to free all POWs

Prisoners of War ON drugs.

[Jedi Guy]

6. For simple possession of drugs and/or paraphernalia, I agree, those people should be released.

For those making and/or distributing drugs such as heroin, cocaine, crack, or meth... not so much. Simple possession is not the same as possession with intent to distribute. The makers, distributors, and dealers don't care who they hurt with their product. They're simply out to make a ton of money. Decriminalizing simple possession avoids ruining people's lives unnecessarily, and makes it easier for them to get into diversion programs or addiction therapy programs. It also frees up resources for the justice system to go after the real problem.

It may also be worthwhile to reexamine the amounts that determine the threshold between possession and possession with intent to distribute.

[Lucky Luciano]

7. Absolutely. We need prison space for insurrectionists.

[Jedi Guy]

8. And other violent criminals.

It boggles the mind that a rapist can get a sentence of 7 years (or less!) while a kid with a pound of weed gets locked up for 20 years (or more!). Simple drug crimes should not carry harsher sentences than crimes where people were injured, traumatized, or killed. That's just bass-ackwards.

[iluvtennis]

12. + agree with all of your posts. nt

[jaxexpat]

13. and Trumpists in general

It's only a matter of time before there will be great regrets for leaving them free from correction.

[safeinOhio]

9. I agree, except for dealers.

90% of dealers are just users picking up some to sell to pay for own habit. The high price is what leads to crime to support habits. Importers and manufactures need to go to jail for financial crimes.

[Jedi Guy]

10. If a dealer rolls over on his supplier/distributor, sure, I'm okay with going easy on them.

Otherwise, they're part of the problem in that they provide these drugs with zero care or concern for the people using them. They're out for profit or to support their habit. I don't see much of a worthwhile distinction there, as they're part of the machinery rather than an end-user.

EDIT: To be clear, I'm talking about drugs like meth, heroin, cocaine, etc. The hard stuff. If some kid is selling weed, that's a different scenario.

[TruckFump]

14. Totally agree. EOM

[ananda]

11. Must be a rightwing judge and/or a corrupt one.

A lot of money is made off regressive justice system policies.