Nathan Hochman says he'll eliminate Gascón's 'pro-criminal policies' on first day in office
LOS ANGELES - Just a week after being elected as LA County's new district attorney, Nathan Hochman is looking to hit the ground running.
Hochman will be sworn in as DA on December 2.
The former federal prosecutor defeated incumbent George Gascón by a landslide. The Associated Press called the race at 1 a.m. Nov. 6 with Hochman leading 60% over Gascón, who had only secured 39.9% of the vote.
During a post-election interview with FOX 11, Hochman said the people of LA County chose public safety over politics and that is why Gascón will soon be out of office.
"It turns out that safety is the crossover issue of 2024. I've spoken to ultra-left liberals, independents, conservative Republicans, Black, White, Latino, Asian, community groups, neighborhood associations all up and down this county. And while they don't agree on much, they do agree on this, that safety for themselves and their family actually matters. It mattered more than political affiliations, as far as I could tell," Hochman told FOX 11.
On day one in office, Hochman said he would eliminate Gascón's extreme pro-criminal policies. Hochman said Gascón's policies have led to a rise in crime throughout the county.
As DA, Hochman said his goal is to empower law enforcement, prosecutors, victim groups, store owners, and residents in LA County.
"They're fed up with their cars being broken into, their homes being robbed. If they're store owners with their stores being ransacked. And they want to bring back accountability. They wanted proportional, they wanted smart, they wanted common sense. They want the law enforcement officers to do a good job, but they want them to do that job," Hochman said.
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Throughout his campaign, Hochman said he plans to work in the hard middle and take politics out of the DA's office.
"I reject extremes on both ends of the pendulum swing, whether it's Gascón's decarceration policies that said that certain crimes and certain criminals would not be prosecuted no matter the facts in the law, but also mass incarceration policies," he said. "Again, an extreme policy that says we don't look at the facts and the law."
His plans also include allowing prosecutors again to accompany victims at parole hearings, restoring opportunities for rehabilitation for those who suffer from mental illness and/or drug addiction, and restoring opportunities and skills for those who go to prison.