New Los Angeles DA Gascon Sworn In, Will "End Bail Completely Jan 1," Resentence Up To 20,000 Convicted Criminals
Dec 07, 2020 10:00 PM ET
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As RedState and countless other publications warned, if Los Angeles elected socialist and Soros-funded candidate George Gascon as its District Attorney, he would institute radical changes in the criminal justice system. He essentially partnered with Black Lives Matter during the election, and pledged his allegiance to them after Election Day.
Gascon was sworn in Monday, and immediately implemented sweeping changes that go far beyond what even jaded political observers expected. As Fox Los Angeles’ Bill Melugin said:
Gascon promised during his campaign that he would drastically change the criminal justice system and move away from “mass incarceration” if elected, and whether or not you agree with him, he is delivering on that promise. These are MASSIVE changes for Los Angeles to digest.
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) December 7, 2020
In a speech following his swearing-in, Gascon spelled out exactly what is changing and when – his office won’t seek the death penalty ever, no more juveniles being charged as adults, no more use of gang or gun enhancements to put violent criminals away for a longer time, no more bail, resentencing of up to 20,000 convicted offenders (with hundreds possibly being released as soon as tomorrow), and more. Despite his years as an LAPD officer, he believes that these measures will “break the multigenerational cycles of violence, trauma, and arrest“:
“I recognize for many this is a new path … whether you are a protester, a police officer or a prosecutor, I ask you to walk with me. I ask you to join me on this journey,” he said. “We can break the multigenerational cycles of violence, trauma and arrest and recidivism that has led America to incarcerate more people than any other nation.”
Gascon then took to Twitter to lay out his agenda – which is terrifying to any law-abiding citizen (emphasis added):
40 years ago I walked my first beat as a young police officer.
Today, I was sworn in as the 43rd District Attorney of Los Angeles.
I am not the same man I was when I first put on the uniform.
One of the many reasons for that is because of situations I faced as a young officer – situations & experiences that have stayed with me, and that continue to shape my approach to this work.
Those experiences taught me the criminal justice system is fundamentally broken.
This might come across as snarky, but the question I would ask Gascon here is, if you’re not the same man you were when you first put on the uniform, at what point in time did the skirt-chasing, sexually-harassing, good-old-boys-club, retaliate-if-the-woman-rejects-you George Gascon emerge? We’ve reported on Gascon’s record of sexually harassing female LAPD officers, and so has independent journalist Yashar Ali.
As I’ve spoken to multiple victims, some of whom have pursued action against Gascon formally and some of whom haven’t, I’ve been warned to watch my six, that Gascon and his associates are ruthless, and that they will come after me and my family and attempt to ruin us. I’ve been warned that it’s too dangerous to go after him.
If the criminal justice system is fundamentally broken, it’s due to people – whether law enforcement or prosecutor – who view their position as a license to control other people for their own gratification, and Gascon is a fine one to talk.
He continues:
Today, we will usher in a new era of criminal justice, and transform the largest criminal justice jurisdiction in America.
The money bail system is as unsafe as it is unjust.
Money is a terrible proxy for risk posed to society.
So today we will end cash bail for any misdemeanor, non-serious or non-violent felony offense.
And I will end bail completely January 1.
Experts estimate that hundreds of individuals behind bars today will be eligible to be freed tomorrow under this new pretrial release policy.
Enhancements, a legacy of the “tough-on-crime” era, are a principal driver of excessive sentences & mass incarceration.
CA enacted over 100 enhancements which are outdated, incoherent, & applied unfairly.
To end mass incarceration in LA we will cease filing ALL enhancements.
CA’s 1994 3 Strikes Law has been a disaster.
In 1980 CA had a prison pop of ~23,000.
In 1990, that number grew to ~94,000.
And In 1999, 5 years after passage of 3 Strikes, CA‘s prison population ballooned to 160,000 souls.
3 strikes ends in my office beginning today.
https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2020/12/07/new-los-angeles-da-gascon-sworn-in-will-end-bail-completely-jan-1-resentence-up-to-20000-convicted-criminals-n290762