By City News Service
Dec 30, 2020
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Councilmen Joe Buscaino and John Lee joined park rangers today to call on the City Council to change the Los Angeles Municipal Code and arm the city s 30 park rangers.
“During this pandemic, our parks have proven to become so much more important than they used to be, and it s just as important to make sure that we protect the people who visit these spaces, said Lee, who is the newly appointed chair of the council s Parks and Recreation Committee. “Our brave park rangers are often the first responders, and unfortunately tides are changing where I believe over 70% of the things that they respond to are regarding law enforcement issues.
By City News Service
Close-up Of Gavel And Justice Scale
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The union representing Los Angeles County prosecutors filed a civil lawsuit today challenging newly seated District Attorney George Gascon s directives to eliminate three-strikes allegations and some sentencing enhancements, alleging that they are “unlawful.
The Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County contends that the directives handed down the day the county s top prosecutor was sworn into office just over three weeks ago violate state law.
A directive that calls for dismissing, withdrawing or not filing special circumstance allegations that could result in a life prison sentence without the possibility of parole for defendants charged with murder is among those targeted in the lawsuit, which also challenges Gascon s directive to dismiss gang enhancements and firearm allegations that can add more time to prison sentences.
Prosecutors union files civil lawsuit over Gascón s new directives
Prosecutorsâ union files civil lawsuit over Gascónâs new directives
The union representing Los Angeles County prosecutors filed a lawsuit against District Attorney George Gascón, alleging that his special directives to get rid of sentencing enhancements and strikes are violating the state law.
LOS ANGELES - The union representing Los Angeles County prosecutors filed a lawsuit against District Attorney George Gascón, alleging that his special directives to get rid of sentencing enhancements and strikes are violating the state law.
Now, the union is asking a judge to step and put a stop to Gascón s sweeping policy changes.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has vetoed a proposal backed by the City Council to spend money diverted from the Los Angeles Police Department’s budget on an array of services, including sidewalk repairs.
Employing a veto power that he rarely uses, Garcetti called for the money to be focused on addressing racial justice and income inequality, avoiding layoffs and more.
“Far too many of the proposed expenditures do not meet the demands of the moment or the call of history,” Garcetti wrote in a letter to the council late Monday about its proposal.
Some council members criticized Garcetti’s action, saying the mayor didn’t give any feedback on the spending plan before Monday.
Updated on December 19, 2020 at 1:01 pm
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Bowing to pressure, newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has amended his directive to eliminate sentencing enhancements and will now allow them in cases involving the most vulnerable victims and in specified “extraordinary” circumstances.
Gascon met significant resistance both within and outside the District Attorney s Office since announcing his instruction to prosecutors to stop seeking the enhancements, which can add years to prison terms for some defendants, including ex-felons or gang members, or those who committed hate crimes or violence against police.
In a letter addressed to the community and released Friday afternoon, Gascon said his office would seek sentencing enhancements only in hate crimes, crimes against children and the elderly, and other crimes that meet certain criteria.