Last week, just moments after George Gascón took office as LA County’s new district attorney, he announced a slate of big reforms. That includes ending cash bail for non-violent crimes, no longer seeking the death penalty, and preventing prosecutors from seeking enhanced sentences.
Sentencing enhancements are typically used when a defendant has a prior felony record or is suspected of gang activity.
But LA City Councilman Paul Koretz says a blanket removal on sentencing enhancements would also apply to hate crimes. And that has him concerned. So this week he introduced a resolution opposing that aspect of Gascón’s DA policy shakeup.