District Attorney Community Expectations
On November 23, 2020, Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles convened a community forum to receive recommendations and comments on what expectations Los Angeles County residents have for the newly elected District Attorney. Best practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19 prevented an in-person mass meeting. Instead, a multi-platform synchronous meeting was held, with an in-person engagement of key constituents, additional stakeholder participation through zoom, and public participation through Facebook Live. There were more than 400 total real-time participants, with more than 2000 people viewing after-the-fact. We are sharing the expectations of that forum for consideration and response to George Gascon.
Foundational to the meeting were the commitments set forth by DA George Gascon, in the February 18, 2020 document “George Gascon’s Plan to Ensure Policing in Los Angeles County is Fair and Just” and the campaign document, “Big Issues: My Positions at a Glance,” as well as stances offered in previously non-public communication with BLMLA organizers.
Both the priority commitments offered by DA George Gascon and the expectations derived from the community meeting are included below, are to be presented to the DA-elect for discussion and agreement, and are to be made publicly available to foster accountability that lends itself to a collaborative relationship. This list of commitments, expectations and considerations is not exhaustive, but meant to serve as a starting point.
Gascon Commitments:
Establishment of regular public community meetings with the District Attorney to occur no less than quarterly.
Reopen and investigate four killings-by-police that were identified in the “Letter to the Community” released in September 2020.
Review, for the possibility of reopening, killings-by-police, as requested by the community and involved families.
End of the use of gang enhancements. All individuals currently incarcerated or on parole or probation as a result of gang enhancement sentencing shall be resentenced without such inclusions and/or released.
Create an independent unit/entity to investigate all killings-by-police, in-custody deaths, and other officer excessive use of force.
End money bail and implement a system with a presumption of pretrial release. For exceptions to this presumption based on community safety concerns, implement a bias-free system.
Additional Community Priorities
Reopen all 628 cases of killings-by-police that occurred on Jackie Lacey’s watch.
Ensure that police brutality and killings are immediately transparent to the public by releasing the names of the officers or law enforcement personnel involved.
Adopt trauma-informed approaches when engaging with the families of those killed by police, community members, and other crime survivors.
Establish a survivor-centered zero-tolerance for sexual harassment policy and practice within the District Attorney’s office.
End the targeting of protesters and end prosecution of civil disobedience, thus ensuring the right to protest without restrictions. End the use of grand jury indictments of political movements and organizations. Refuse to prosecute cases under the designation of “Black Identity Extremism.”
Prosecute and develop a system of restitution for white collar crimes, especially those that target and exploit working class people.
Publicly reject any use of predictive policing or prosecution tools including the use of risk assessments, creation of a Crime Strategies Unit or any predictive prosecution unit, database, program or system, or facial recognition software.end the use of Palantir data processing system and any other data mining system.
Refuse to prosecute cases generated by pretextual stops and non-consensual or coerced searches.
End all collaboration on immigration cases with ICE, DEA, Homeland Security (i.e. Joint Anti-Terrorist Task Force).
Create Community Courts and non-punitive conflict resolution entities that advance transformative justice approaches.
Support and invest in community-based resources that advance transformative justice.
Prosecute officers for in-custody deaths. “If it’s on the inside, then it’s not a suicide.”
Prosecute police for corruption, beyond killings.
Prosecute Los Angeles County Sheriff’s gangs, starting with Alex Villanueva..
Release non-violent offenders.
Do not prosecute youth. Restore them.
Work with organizers to pass meaningful policy around police accountability.
Do not use legal barriers as an excuse not to charge officers. Take a political stand.
Do not prosecute people for being unhoused, for drug-dependency, or for mental health challenges.
Investigate County Coroner for complicity in killings-by-police.
Remove law enforcement presence from autopsies.
Stop coerced plea deals.
Additional Requests:
Investigate and prosecute Jackie Lacey for corruption.
Hire public defenders as prosecutors.
Fund public defenders to the same level as the DA.
Focus on restoration for victims, not punishing criminals.
Call out police associations.