L.A. Deputy District Attorney blasts D.A. George Gascon for being soft on crime as murder rates skyrocket

A Los Angeles County deputy district attorney blasted the city’s top prosecutor for putting the public at risk with his soft-on-crime approach following the murders of a 24-year-old woman and a 70-year-old nurse earlier this week, Fox News reported. 

"We are not focused on victims, we are not focused on public safety, and in Los Angeles County you know, my boss, George Gascon, has a soft spot for criminals," attorney John McKinney said on Tuesday. He added that Gascon is on a mission to raise his national “stature” as a criminal reformer by “leading in favor of criminals” instead of victims.

"He has created an environment where crime thrives here in Los Angeles County by explicitly telling the criminal community you can commit crimes, certain crimes, I will not prosecute you at all," he added.

Last year, Gascon eliminated cash bail altogether and murders and shootings in Los Angeles have since risen sharply, with homicides rising 26% in the first six months of 2021. Similarly, the Los Angeles district attorney has down-charged violent crimes and moved to stop prosecuting theft and gun crimes.

Jon Hatami, a Deputy District Attorney who is suing Los Angeles County for retaliation over his outspoken criticism of his boss, said during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday that Gascon — along with other progressive prosecutors across the country — need to be voted out of office.

“Nobody should have a district attorney who refuses to file charges against murderers and rapists and child abusers to the fullest extent of the law. That person does not deserve to be the D.A.,” Hatami said. 

Hatami, who prosecuted the 2014 murder case of eight-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, railed against Gascon’s catch-and-release policies and his move to charge certain crimes as misdemeanors.

“There are some people that are so bad that they deserve to go to prison,” Hatami said. “And the reason for that is punishment, accountability and protection for the public.”

Gascon came under fire last week for allowing transgender woman Hannah Tubbs, now 26, to face a no-jail wrist-slap sentence after she pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl just before she turned 18.

After taking office in 2020, the L.A. district attorney vowed to stop charging minors as adults and to cease using sentencing enhancements. 

“When you say, ‘Here’s a list of crimes I’m not going to prosecute’ — Yeah, you are not a good D.A… And you are not a good prosecutor,” Hatami said. “That shouldn’t be the first thing you do when you become D.A.”

Hatami also added that the rising homicide rates in Los Angeles — and across the country — proved there was a lack of leadership.

“The homicide rate in L.A. City compared to 2019 is up over 50 percent,” he said. “The homicide rate in L.A. County compared to 2019 is up over 90 percent, and we’re at a 15-year high in homicides.”