Nathan Hochman, the man who defeated former Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, will begin his term Tuesday with a lengthy to-do list after promising to restore balance to the criminal justice system.
Hochman is a former Republican who ran as an independent and centrist. He vowed to wipe away many of Gascón’s policies that he claims created a system that was way too lenient on violent and repeat offenders.
Hochman was able to connect with frustrated voters in deep-blue Los Angeles County with a campaign that offered a “hard middle” approach to fighting crime. He defeated Gascón by a nearly 20-point margin in November, outpacing the progressive incumbent by more than a half million votes.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Hochman told LAist. “I’m taking over an office that has been considered one of the premiere D.A.’s offices in the nation.”
Gascón, known as the godfather of progressive prosecutors, swept into office in 2020 on promises of reform. He became a lightning rod for criticism both inside and outside of office, and criminals generally faced a less punitive justice system under his watch. Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney, was able to pin the blame for LA’s increases in crime and homelessness on Gascón’s failed policies.
On the campaign trail, Hochman pledged to undo Gascón’s ban on seeking the death penalty but added that his office will only seek death sentences in rare cases, including those involving cop killers and school shooters. Despite the stance, a 2019 moratorium issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) prevents executions from taking place in the state.
Hochman said he also wants to do away with an edict that prohibits prosecutors from filing low-level misdemeanor charges for trespassing or simple drug possession.
He said prosecutors in his office will also be given the latitude to seek sentencing enhancements, a tool prosecutors use to increase the penalty for a crime by adding time to a base sentence. Hochman said his office would specifically go after lawbreakers linked to gangs. A gang sentencing enhancement, against someone who has committed a crime for the benefit of a gang, could add an additional 10 years to a prison term.
“We will be bringing it back in the appropriate cases,” Hochman said.
Under Gascón, sentencing enhancements fell to almost zero. He argued that they unfairly targeted men of color and those in poorer communities.
Hochman maintains that his win will not mean a radical shift to the right but said his office would take a hard look at what has been working and what has not.
“The lines will be enforced again,” Hochman told the Los Angeles Times. “They will be done in a proportional way, a commonsense way, a way that rejects extremes. Both the extreme that we’ve been living with of decarceration, which says that certain crimes and certain criminals will not be prosecuted, as well as the extremes of mass incarceration.”
Menendez brothers loom
All eyes will be on Hochman when it comes to the resentencing of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez next month. One of Gascón’s last acts as district attorney was to push for the resentencing and parole of the brothers convicted of killing their parents. They have served nearly 35 years in prison for their crime.
Hochman said he wanted to review the sensational case, which has been made into several movies and documentaries, before taking a position.
“I come in with an open mind,” he said. “I want to see all the facts. I want to apply them against the law and make a decision on that basis.”
The judge in the Menendez case said he wants to hear what Hochman has to say and whether he agrees with his predecessor’s recommendation before making a decision himself. The resentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 30, 2025.
Inside the district attorney’s office, prosecutors are likely to have a better relationship with Hochman than Gascón, who regularly butted heads with prosecutors for imposing reforms without seeking advice from the prosecutors tasked with enforcing them.
“I’m excited about a fresh start,” said Ryan Erlich, vice president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, which represents 800 prosecutors.
“There’s just been a lot of tension in the office,” he said, adding that now “there’s optimism and hope.”
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But not everyone is thrilled with LA County’s newest top cop.
Melina Abdullah, the co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter and the running mate of independent presidential candidate Cornel West, said Monday that she is planning to protest outside Hochman’s inauguration. Dozens of families whose relatives were victims of violence at the hands of police in Los Angeles County are expected to protest alongside her.