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George Gascón opens up about his record and regrets as LA's DA
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George Gascón
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Samanta Helou Hernandez
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LAist
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George Gascón, who was elected L.A. County District Attorney in 2000 amid a progressive wave, has become a lightning rod for conservative media across the country. At this summer's Republican National Convention, speakers called him out as a “radical."
This season of our podcast Imperfect Paradise: District Attorney Gascón examines his policies and evolution in the job — and the challenge he faces on the November ballot from a far more traditional prosecutor.
About this upcoming election
Gascón faces Nathan Hochman. You can learn more about each candidate's positions through LAist's Voter Game Plan:
What's new?
In the latest episode (the third of four) we hear from Gascón about how he’s been forced, under public pressure, to roll back some of his policies.
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“I have matured,” Gascón told us.
We also continue to follow the story of Jose Santana, who had been sentenced as a teen to 22 years in prison for stealing two cell phones. He was released under Gascón's policy changes.
Santana was one of 180 people initially identified by Gascon’s office as eligible for resentencing. This episode documents his transformation from a violent, drug dealing state prisoner to a model prisoner who wins early release.
Santana now works with Mass Liberation, a nonprofit that helps men coming out of prison.
We hear victims’ perspectives
We hear from two mothers who lost children to violent crime. One initially supported Gascón, hoping her incarcerated brother would win an early release. When her daughter was killed, she changed her view of the DA.
The other sits on the DA’s Crime Victims Advisory Board and believes in the kind of restorative justice for which Gascón advocates.
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We also talk with Chesa Boudin
Chesa Boudin, the former San Francisco district attorney ousted in a recall in 2022, discusses the backlash against the progressive prosecutor's movement.
Boudin maintains the criminal justice reform movement is “strong and vibrant,” adding that “it's important to remember the progressive prosecutor movement is just one part of a much broader, diverse criminal justice reform movement.”
Listen now to Episode 3
You can ask for Imperfect Paradise: District Attorney Gascón wherever you get your podcasts. Or listen here:
Listen
• 50:49
Listen
• 50:49
District Attorney Gascón: Part 3
George Gascón faces backlash from inside his own D.A.’s office and from the public. He’s become a national scapegoat for right-wing media. LAist Correspondent Frank Stoltze explores how Gascón’s policies have played out for people imprisoned.
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