Gascón launches diversion program for minors who commit felony burglary, vehicle theft, robbery

The felonies that qualify for George Gascón's diversion program includes burglary, assault without firearms or extensive injuries, vehicle theft, robbery and sexual battery.

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón launches a new diversion program for juvenile criminals.

His critics call it a get-out-of-jail-free card for juvenile offenders. Deputy DA Jonathan Hatami, a longtime critic of Gascón, says, "You're basically saying we're going to give you a slap on the wrist."

The program is called "Restorative Enhanced Diversion For Youth Pathway." It’s a program meant to move young people away from incarceration and into rehabilitation.

The felonies that qualify for this diversion program include:

Burglary
Assaults without firearms or extensive injuries
Vehicle theft
Robbery
Grand theft person
Sexual battery
Arson

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Hatami says, "Diversion means that we're not charging anybody. So, if we're not charging anybody, they don't go through the court system. So you can't give them any sort of programs that are monitored through the court."

Last week, Gascón doubled down on his controversial policies and appealed to his critics by saying, "Rather than turning every tragedy into a political football and end game, I ask those people, please join us, we can do better, go further if we all work together."

However, Hatami says Gascón’s blanket policies do not work. He says this type of leniency on juveniles will most likely cause an increase in crime and, "I think it endangers the juveniles because you have older gang members and what they’re doing is telling 16 and 17-year-olds, ‘Hey, you can commit these crimes and you're not really going to get in trouble.'"

FOX 11 News reached out to the DA’s office for comment but no one got back to us.

Deputy DA John McKinney agrees Hatami’s point of view on this matter and further explains in a Zoom interview why he thinks Gascón’s diversion program is destined to fail.

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