It’s the end of an era in Los Angeles County – an era that crime-weary residents hope never returns. On Tuesday afternoon, Nathan Hochman was sworn in as district attorney after defeating Soros’ incumbent prosecutor, George Gascón, in the November general election.
Former Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger did the honors:
Happens now: @NathanHochmanDA is sworn into office by @Schwarzenegger.
The Hochman era is now underway in the LA District Attorney’s office and the George Gascon era is over. pic.twitter.com/ja8oiGoMd2
– Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) December 3, 2024
Back in December 2020, when Gascón was sworn in, he immediately signed a series of special directives that went into effect that day, making his criminal coddling policies – including refusing to charge gang or gun enhancements and never imposing the death penalty – official LA District Attorney Policy. (RedState received only the special policy documents and was the first outlet to publish it in full.)
Likewise, Hochman took action immediately after being sworn in and immediately ended the special directives.
There it is. Hochman has officially repealed Gascón’s special soft-crime guidelines. Internal communication to his prosecutors. pic.twitter.com/hxTzdG6Zoa
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 3, 2024
One of Gascon’s instructions referred to not prosecuting certain offenses in almost all circumstances, including:
- Trespassing – Penal Code § 602(a)-(y)
- Disturbance of public peace – Section 415 Paragraphs 1-3 of the Criminal Code
- Driving without a valid license – Vehicle Code § 12500(a)-(e)
- Driving with a revoked license – Vehicle Code § 14601.1(a)
- Criminal threats – Penal Code § 422Drug and paraphernalia possession – Health and Safety Code §§ 11350, 11357, 11364 and 11377
- Minor in Possession of Alcohol – Business and Occupation § 25662(a)
- Drinking in Public – Los Angeles County Municipal Code §13.18.010
- Under the Influence of Controlled Substances – Health and Safety Code § 11550
- Public Intoxication – Penal Code § 647(f)
- Loitering – Penal Code § 647(b),(c), (d), (e)
- Loitering for Prostitution – Penal Code § 653.22(a)(1)
- Resisting Arrest – Penal Code Section 148(a).
At the time, we (along with all other people of common sense) warned that refusing to prosecute and publicize these crimes would make the city much less protected and desirable. I wrote on December 7, 2020:
Certainly, these are offenses in which a prosecutor should be free to dismiss the charges or decline to prosecute based on the specific circumstances of the case. However, a blanket ban on law enforcement is counterproductive and makes the city even less attractive to law-abiding people. When police and criminals know that loitering and trespassing won’t be prosecuted, you can have fun patronizing a business without being accosted by scammers or worse.
This actually happened, and law-abiding people were attacked by something much worse than fraudsters.
Gascón’s defeat is particularly significant because he is Soros’ original prosecutor; As RedState revealed in December 2020, Soros’ “Progressive Prosecutor Project” is Gascón’s brainchild, and he secured $50 million in initial funding from Soros’ Open Societies Foundation.
“We started looking at a map of the U.S. and strategically trying to figure out what the urban centers were… One of the conversations was: How do we create a movement here? Which led to the Open Societies Foundation, George Soros’ foundation, giving the ACLU $50 million in 2014 to start. pic.twitter.com/J6NyXg89cN
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) August 4, 2022
READ MORE: George Gascón admits he is behind Soros Progressive Prosecutor Project and secured a $50 million seed donation to ACLU
There were two recall attempts against Gascón; the second step likely would have led to his downfall had he qualified, as polls at that point, in 2022, showed nearly 60 percent of respondents would vote for recall. Unfortunately, according to photos, documents and audio recordings provided to RedState by a whistleblower involved in the campaign, campaign managers knowingly submitted tens of thousands of invalid signatures (duplicates, out-of-county, incorrect address) on their recall petition and the petition could not be considered.
READ MORE: Why did George Gascon’s recall fail? Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar explains
The recall organizers denied the whistleblower’s allegations and sued LA County and registrar Dean Logan in July 2023 voluntarily dropped their lawsuit in March 2024.
