On November 5, Los Angeles voters will get to choose between keeping District Attorney George Gascón in office or electing Nathan Hochman.
Gascón, who has held the position since 2020, has drawn his fair share of controversy for his criminal justice reforms, which some believe have led to a jump in crime. The latest statistics from March 2024 show violent crime had increased 2.9% compared to March 2023, and robberies had gone up by 9.5%. Another study found that shoplifting skyrocketed by 81% in 2023.
“It would be a lot higher if storeowners who got shoplifted actually reported each incident,” Hochman told the Journal. “Businessowners of small and big stores see that the DA has a policy of not prosecuting criminals if they steal under $950 worth of merchandise. The police won’t investigate it, and insurance companies could cancel their policies if they report it.”
Hochman, who is Jewish, is bringing 34 years of criminal justice experience to the table this election. He was a federal prosecutor, U.S. Assistant Attorney General and LA Ethics Commission President. A lifelong Angeleno, he states on his campaign website that he is “shocked and disappointed at how our public safety has seriously worsened over the last three years under current DA George Gascón.” The candidate calls his approach to criminal justice “the hard middle.”
“It’s a rejection of extreme mass incarceration, and going back to the middle,” he said. “You have to do your work. You can’t have these lazy blanket policies. You need to look at each case individually, including the crime committed and the impact on the victim. If the person is a first-time non-violent offender who violates society’s laws, they have to do something to pay back their debt to society like community service or paying restitution.”
“It’s a rejection of extreme mass incarceration, and going back to the middle.” –Nathan Hochman
Hochman, an Independent candidate, will also trust in his prosecutors. This has been a contentious issue for Gascón; as of this past June, 20 prosecutors have brought accusations of workplace retaliation against Gascón, alleging that because they challenged his progressive positions, he forced them out of their leadership positions or gave them undesirable tasks.
“Gascón has completely lost the trust of his prosecutors,” Hochman said. “I have over 200 endorsements from his own prosecutors. If elected, I will tell the prosecutors, ‘Go do your job, and I will do mine. I won’t reject these cases before I see them. I will bring the appropriate punishment to fit the crime.”
Other endorsements that Hochman has received include business leader and former candidate for mayor Rick Caruso; former Democratic District Attorney Jackie Lacey; the Association of Deputy District Attorneys; the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs; and the Los Angeles Police Protective League.
When it comes to the issues, Hochman lays out his plan for different types of crimes on his website. For instance, when it comes to smash-and-grab robberies, he said he will instruct his deputies to prosecute “to the full extent of the law, rather than send them back to the streets as Gascón has done. This will keep dangerous criminals behind bars, unable to reoffend.”
As for sentencing enhancements, he will eliminate Gascón’s use of strikes, special allegations and sentencing enhancements. He states on his campaign website, “Under my administration, violent criminals who use guns or other deadly weapons will be prosecuted and punished, not released back to the street to commit more crimes.”
Hochman told the Journal, “The DA needs to make it clear for everyone to understand: Here are the real consequences for crimes. The system should deter potential criminals from committing crimes in the first place because they understand the consequences of their actions.”
Along with voting for a DA on November 5, Prop 36 is also on the ballot, which Hochman is urging voters to support. It would increase penalties for many drug and theft crimes and partly roll back Prop 47, which was co-authored by Gascón. It passed in 2014 and reduced most drug possession offenses and thefts of property valued at less than $950.00 from felonies to misdemeanors.
On day one in office, Hochman said he plans to, “get rid of Gascón’s extreme pro-criminal policies, but I won’t replace them with mass incarceration policies. We will look at the facts of the law and not someone’s personal agenda. I will be prepared to trust my prosecutors that they will do a great job every single time.”
According to the DA candidate, his Jewish values will play into his work as well. His parents, who were both chairs of Jewish Federations, taught him and his two sisters that giving back to your community is not optional – it’s a responsibility.
“They also said that tzedakah doesn’t mean charity, it means justice,” he said. “The more charity you do, the more justice you bring into the world. And they taught me that if you save one life, you save the world. Be the light that will save the whole world.”
Hochman, a husband and father of three kids who are now in their 20s, was appalled when the Pico-Robertson protests happened this past summer outside of Adas Torah, and the current DA didn’t say anything.
“I’m a big supporter of the first amendment, but when they want to engage in violent acts against Jews trying to enter a synagogue, that’s when the DA needs to step in and say, ‘You’ll be held accountable and go to jail,’” he said. “Mayor Bass called it abhorrent, and Governor Newsom called it completely unacceptable, while Gascón didn’t say anything or prosecute anybody.”
Hochman is urging everyone to get out and vote on November 5 to ensure they get a say in how the criminal justice system in LA county is run.
“If people want their voices to be heard, they need to register to vote,” he said. “I’ve put thousands of miles on my car meeting thousands of people who are fired up. For those who aren’t, hopefully I can reach them and show how important it is to vote.”
He continued, “I’m not going to let a guy come from San Francisco, after he destroyed the system there, to come into LA and ruin our public safety. I will fight for what I love.”
