Los Angeles district attorney facing recall moves forward with attempt to fight 'three strike' rule

Embattled Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon is again in hot water, this time for what one critic says is his decision to put "chaos and lawlessness over public safety" in his plans to mitigate California's three strikes law.

The city's top law enforcement officer – who is likely in danger of a recall effort like the one that recently ousted San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin – announced this week that he will fight a ruling issued by a three panel judge in June on the state's multiple offense law. 

The ruling blocks Gascon's plan to allow prosecutors – or to require them if he so orders – to remove previous strikes (offenses) from cases they're trying against criminals including murderers and rapists.

"The court is effectively taking the charging decision out of the prosecutor’s hands – the core function of a prosecutor’s office," Gascon said. 

Gascon has argued that California's three-strike law imposes "draconian penalties" on criminals who have previously been convicted of certain felony offenses. According to the policy, anyone convicted of two or more prior felonies can receive a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison. 

The district attorney has also argued that longer prison sentences do not lead to increased public safety.

"These policies increase recidivism rates, have little-to-no deterrent effect and keep people in prison long after they pose any safety risk to their community," he said.

City Deputy District attorney Jonathan Hatami recently told the New York Post that Gascon is guided "by politics," not justice.

He also described him a "someone who has accepted chaos and lawlessness over public safety and doing the right thing."

Meanwhile, on Thursday, L.A. county officials announced that a random sampling of the more than 715,000 signatures that were filed in the recall campaign against Gascon had passed an initial certification test.

The full review will be completed by mid August. The first possible date for a recall election is Nov. 8.

Hatami, in response to the news, tweeted, "George – you are one step closer to losing your job. Angelenos-we are one step closer to bringing back public safety, accountability, reasonable reforms, transparency, empathy, compassion, law, and justice for all!"

Gascon has fallen under increasing scrutiny since assuming office in 2020. His policies are largely considered progressive and have included enacting rules that ban seeking the death penalty and ban transferring juvenile suspects to adult court.