LOS ANGELES — In recent weeks, several cities across Los Angeles County have publicly come out against the divisive, anti-law and order district attorney in the form of no-confidence votes.
The latest municipalities to issue such resolutions include Azusa, Diamond Bar, Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera and the affluent cities of Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Beverly Hills. At least 15 of the county’s 88 cities have issued the no-confidence vote.
Azusa Councilman Andrew Mendez told Fox News he supports some change, but said Gascon is defying voters by refusing to prosecute some criminal suspects.
“I’m a big personal believer that we need prison reform,” he said. “The DA has attempted to kind of use this as ‘This is prison reform.’ No this isn’t.”
Meanwhile, a group looking to oust Gascon over his radical policies has been cleared to begin collecting the thousands of signatures needed to trigger a recall election.
The Los Angeles County Registrar approved the petition drive by the Recall George Gascon campaign, which must collect roughly 579,062 valid signatures – 10% of county voters — by Oct. 27, the agency told Fox News.
“They can now begin public circulation and signature gathering,” a Registrar spokesman said Thursday.
Gascon is also being sued by his own subordinate prosecutors due to orders they believe to be illegal.
The Association of Deputy District Attorney’s for Los Angeles County (ADDA) claimed in the lawsuit filed that the DA’s directives would mean violating state laws that require enhanced sentences in certain cases, Law Officer reported in December when the civil action was filed.
“As the District Attorney, Respondent Gascón has no authority to legislate and no right to unilaterally abrogate the law—no matter his personal opinion as to the law’s merits,” the complaint states.
Gascon’s adversaries are not restricted to Los Angeles County. Last year he faced sharp criticism from his Orange County counterpart, DA Todd Spitzer.
The Orange County DA targeted Gascon’s extreme liberal policies, including ending cash bail, refusal to prosecute quality of life crimes, and the death penalty, Law Officer reported. Spitzer said Gascon has gone “so far off the reservation” with his directives.
“I’m very concerned. Mr. Gascón was very transparent and very clear that he was going to implement these reforms when he ran for office. He was elected to do this. This is a decision that Los Angeles made,” Spitzer said in 2020.
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