Crime shatters lives. Its devastation ripples through families, schools, places of worship, and our entire community. Los Angeles County deserves a district attorney who will protect the innocent, hold offenders accountable, and restore justice to our streets. Nathan Hochman is the right choice for this job. The contrast with George Gascón couldn’t be starker. While Hochman stands ready to serve victims, Gascón has spent his tenure as district attorney betraying his oath, abandoning the people, and dismantling the system he promised to reform.
Gascón’s policies have not just failed; they have actively harmed those he swore to protect. He has turned his back on victims, prioritizing criminals over community safety. If Gascón were a public defender, perhaps his actions would make sense. But as the top prosecutor of Los Angeles, he has been nothing short of a disaster. His so-called reforms have not brought justice; they’ve eroded it. He has made decisions that defy logic and morality, putting law-abiding citizens at risk.
Under Gascón’s leadership, victims of gang violence, hate crimes, and domestic abuse have been left to fend for themselves. He refuses to allow prosecutors to pursue the legal enhancements and charges necessary to address these heinous acts fully. Instead, his policies serve criminals, not the community. Gascón’s justice is not blind—it is selective, arbitrary, and based on whether a case draws enough media attention to serve his political ambitions.
Behind closed doors, Gascón hides behind secret committees that make decisions with zero transparency or accountability. Families torn apart by crime are left without answers while Gascón moves in the shadows beyond scrutiny. And perhaps most disturbingly, he refuses to meet with the families of murder victims, dismissing their pain and outrage as the complaints of the “uneducated.” This is not justice. This is abandonment.
Gascón’s policies have allowed dangerous murderers, rapists, and gang members to walk free after serving only a fraction of their sentences. His refusal to prosecute juveniles in adult court, even for the most heinous crimes, means that our communities are less safe. He has failed thousands of victims at parole hearings, refusing to send prosecutors to advocate for them. As a result, families are forced to face their worst nightmares alone—standing before the very people who destroyed their lives without support or guidance. This abandonment is a disgrace.
I know this firsthand because, alongside a small group of former prosecutors, I have had to step in to represent these victims pro bono over the last four years. We’ve done this because Gascón has abandoned them. These families, already shattered by unspeakable loss, now face the additional trauma of a legal system that no longer serves them. Under Gascón, justice is not just elusive—it is eviscerated.
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Los Angeles deserves better. Victims deserve more. And Nathan Hochman is the leader who can restore integrity and fairness to our criminal justice system. Unlike Gascón, Hochman stands with victims. He has already met with victims’ groups, listened to their stories and pledged to prioritize their rights and concerns in every decision he makes. He is committed to restoring independence, honesty, and transparency to the District Attorney’s office.
On day one, Nathan Hochman will rescind Gascón’s dangerous and unlawful policies. He will send prosecutors to parole hearings to ensure that victims are never abandoned again. He will hold violent criminals accountable, prosecuting juveniles in adult court when appropriate. Hochman understands that true justice means standing with the victims of crime, not excusing the actions of those who commit it.
In this election, the choice is clear. For the safety of our communities, for the dignity of crime victims, and the restoration of justice in Los Angeles County, Nathan Hochman is the only candidate who can bring about the change we so desperately need. Let’s stand with him—and with victims—by electing him as our next District Attorney.
Kathy Cady, a victims’ rights attorney at Dordulian Law Group, brings over three decades of legal expertise, including 31 years as a prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.