Currently, prosecutors in both the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems have too much discretion in pressing charges, determining what sentences are sought, and negotiating plea deals. Trial by jury is a key tenant of the American criminal justice system, but heightened prosecutorial power significantly reduces the power and frequency of a trial by peers. Attempts at sentencing reform must address largely unchecked prosecutorial discretion.
““Progressive prosecutor” has clearly become a buzzword as of late, but what exactly does it mean to be one? Progressive prosecutors tend to sound “more like liberal activists and civil rights lawyers than traditional hard-nosed DAs,” and are seeking to transform criminal justice systems, as my colleague Del Quentin Wilber put it a few months ago.“
LA Times
November 12, 2019
Read More“The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office is the nation’s largest local prosecutorial agency by far. Its caseload, together with L.A.’s position as a capital of innovation and a breeding ground for political movements, put the L.A. D.A.’s office in a position to influence justice policy not just here but throughout California and, arguably, around the nation. Practices established in L.A. may well set the course for dealing with homelessness, mental health care, policing and public safety everywhere. So there is a strong case to be made that aside from the presidential race, the most important item before voters in 2020 will be the race for L.A. County D.A.“
Los Angeles Times
October 21, 2019
Read More“A new poll found that Californians, by a 2-to-1 margin, support sentencing first-degree murderers to life in prison rather than the death penalty, an indication that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent decision to impose a moratorium on executions may align with public sentiment against capital punishment. The poll results could potentially revive efforts to abolish the death penalty in California, including a proposed constitutional amendment being considered in the state Legislature that could land on the 2020 ballot, and embolden Newsom to take additional action against capital punishment.“
LA Times
March 27, 2019
Read More“With such widespread support, it’s disheartening that Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor, Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey, hasn’t embraced some criminal justice reforms.Take the incarceration rate of Los Angeles County. We have about 618 people in prison per 100,000 residents, which is significantly higher than California’s overall rate of 496 per 100,000 residents and more than four times higher than San Francisco’s rate. Black residents are incarcerated at four times the rate of white residents.“
Los Angeles Times
February 27, 2019
Read More“Lawmakers in Louisiana passed the split-jury rule in 1880 after the 14th Amendment guaranteed all men, including former slaves, the right to vote and serve on juries. The rule was formally entered into the Louisiana Constitution at the state’s 1898 constitutional convention, where lawmakers declared a mission to ‘perpetuate the supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon race in Louisiana’.“
LA Times
September 12, 2018
Read More"The U.S. Supreme Court requires prosecutors to inform criminal defendants about an officer’s wrongdoing — but the state’s laws are so strict that prosecutors cannot directly access the personnel files of their own police witnesses. Instead, California puts the burden on defendants to prove to a judge that an officer’s record is relevant."
LA Times
August 9, 2018
Read More