Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who has been the subject of intense scrutiny throughout his tenure because of a series of progressive policy directives he issued after being sworn in as D.A. is under fire from multiple legal and political fronts.
Relatively early on in his term, George Gascon enjoys a reputation for character-defined strength and frailty within the criminal justice system.
Deputy DA Shea Sanna sues
The biggest signal is a lawsuit by Deputy District Attorney Shea Sanna against George Gascon.
Sanna claims he faced retaliation after pushing back against some of the decisions from Gascón’s office that put him in conflict with his legal and ethical obligations.
The lawsuit alleges that Sanna suffered harassment, demotion and suspension as well as career-threatening efforts to silence his opposition.
This lawsuit is in addition to a wider controversy surrounding Gascón’s platform, which has been divisive since he took office last year.
To avert that outcome Gascón has taken steps to reduce sentences for certain offenses, he banned the use of cash bail in nonviolent cases and sought input on how to review convictions.
And both efforts have resulted in strong pushback from victim’s rights groups and many in the law enforcement community as well as some members of public who argue these policies are fueling crime surges, a lack of accountability.
Debate on Innocence of Criminals
The latest lawsuit has been filed by activist Sanna Shea, and follows an action which added Damascus Gate Orelim to the complaint against Gascón, LA County.
The federal lawsuit centered on wrongful convictions — one of the few crimes that Gascón is accused of doing nothing about.
Shea, a key figure in the criminal justice reform movement contends that Gascón’s office has not done enough to right these wrongs and instead is focusing on their progressive agenda over the rights of those who are innocent.
The lawsuit alleges that Gascón has fostered a dismissive culture among members of the District Attorney’s office, which reportedly resulted in an insufficient investigation into possible wrongful convictions.
Such a claim is especially insidious as Gascón has cultivated the image of being not just willing but eager to fix broken parts in the criminal justice system.
The case could also have major repercussions beyond Gascón, given the larger dialogue on criminal justice reform happening in Los Angeles.
In addition to these lawsuits, there were a few high-profile cases in which Gascón’s office was called out for their salaries and other practices.
The case of actor Gabriel Olds has been one example: he is charged with sexually assaulting three women from 2013-23. The case has also spurred a public conversation about how Gascón, who was elected on promises to better serve crime victims and protect the working-class communities at his daughter’s school in particular he’ll start from them, handles sexual assault cases.
The Political Outcomes
Gascón’s criminal justice efforts have been a political hot button in Los Angeles.
His reforms have been praised as being necessary steps towards a fairer system, but also fingered for an apparent resurgence of crime and loss of public safety.
As a result, the debate over Garcetti’s recall has only intensified with his critics claiming that he is not reflective of what residents in Los Angeles want.
In a Nutshell DA George Gascón’s tenure in office has been mired in controversy and litigation.
Deputy District Attorney Shea Sanna and activist-Sanna Shea both alleged in lawsuits that the Los Angeles County D.A.’s office has become increasingly contentious about Gascón’s reforms.
As these legal challenges proceed, they might be a bellwether for the future of criminal justice in Los Angeles and whether Gascón establishes himself as a reformer.
The ultimate justice, or injustice in the case of Gascón — absolution to leadership on either side of a range between extolled and text rubbed clean with white-out will likely hinge upon how these legal challenges fare, whether reform is seen as well intended but infracted against public safety.