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LA’s New DA Gascón Runs Into Internal Resistance On His Second Day
L.A. DA George Gascon. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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George Gascón was sworn in as L.A. County’s new district attorney on Monday, and by Tuesday he already had to deal with an act of defiance by a member of his staff.
Gascón ordered a deputy DA to drop train-wrecking charges against Emanuel Padilla, who had been arrested at a protest against the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.Gascón had determined there wasn’t enough evidence to support the charges, according to DA spokesman Max Szabo.
But the prosecutor refused, Szabo said.
Gascón found another deputy DA to deal with the matter, said Szabo, who declined to name the defiant prosecutor or discuss whether the individual faces discipline, on the grounds that it’s a personnel matter.
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The protester, Emanuel Padilla, was released last night after spending 20 days behind bars. He praised Gascón.
The Sheriff’s Department slammed the DA’s move, saying in a statement that it’s “disappointed and perplexed that the charges were dropped despite the clear factual evidence.”
The incident is the latest sign of the resistance Gascón faces from those on his staff who oppose his reformist policies.
READ OUR FULL STORY ON THE CLASH OVER THE CHARGES:
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