George Gascón, Nathan Hochman debate in LA County DA race

Gascón, Hochman tout experience needed for DA job

George Gascón and Nathan Hochman remain in the lead for the primary election for Los Angeles County District Attorney.

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - One month ahead of the Nov. 5 election, incumbent L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón and challenger Nathan Hochman are set to debate Tuesday -- making their case as to who is better equipped to lead the largest prosecutorial office in the U.S.

KNX News and the Los Angeles Times will present the one-hour debate. KNX News anchor Mike Simpson and chief correspondent Charles Feldman will serve as moderators. L.A. Times reporters James Queally and Brittny Mejia, and KNX News reporter Emily Valdez, who cover the criminal justice beat, will ask questions regarding issues of safety, equity and quality of life.

L.A. County voters elected Gascón in 2020 during a tumultuous year stemming from a lockdown spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest due to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis law enforcement.

He previously served as the district attorney of the city and county of San Francisco from 2011 to 2019.

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Gascón enacted policies aimed at making the criminal justice system less punitive -- limiting extra-long sentences for people accused of using a gun or being a gang member, prosecutions of juveniles as adults, and no longer seeking the death penalty, among other initiatives. Though he later, revised some of his policies.

The D.A. survived two attempts to recall him as many critics say his approach on crime is to lenient.

During his tenure as D.A., Gascón has also been accused by 20 prosecutors of workplace retaliation, several of which were filed by his own employees.

Hochman, a former federal prosecutor, has said that if elected he would revoke several of Gascón's polices, such as the ban on the death penalty, trying juveniles and sentencing enhancements. Hochman has accused Gascón and his policies for a rise in county.

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He previously served as the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division from 2008 to 2009. Hotchman also served as the president of the L.A. City Ethics Commission from 2011 to 2016.

According to recent polls, Hochman has a lead over Gascón as 45% of likely voters favor him compared to 20% for Gascón. The survey conducted by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by The Times also noted another 35% of likely voters were undecided.

Of 1,136 likely county voters who participated in the poll, 60% said they felt public safety in the county declined over the last three years while only 5% said it improved.