Los Angeles District Attorney Drafts Radical New Policies, Many Are Concerned Over The Implications

The L.A. Times had this to report: 

George Gascón embarked Monday on a plan to reimagine criminal prosecutions in Los Angeles County, announcing sweeping policy changes he’ll make as district attorney that include an end to cash bail, a ban on prosecutors seeking enhanced prison sentences and showing leniency to many low-level offenders.

The dramatic reversals of deeply ingrained, traditional law enforcement strategies in the nation’s largest district attorney’s office, also will include a review of thousands of old cases to determine whether lighter sentences or prisoner releases should be sought, Gascón said in a speech during his swearing-in ceremony.

“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.”

The Red State Observer voiced these concerns: 

The Special Directives Gascon instituted cover the same broad areas referenced in my earlier piece: youth justice, death penalty, charge enhancements, misdemeanor crimes, pre-trial release/bail, resentencing, victim services, conviction integrity, and the Habeas Corpus Litigation Unit. Each Special Directive is linked so you can read them in their entirety (and trust me, you’ll need a strong beverage or a punching bag to get through them), but I’ll highlight some of the more terrible portions.

First, with regard to all of the policy changes announced today, Deputy District Attorneys are to amend ALL pending cases to conform with the new policy. This will have immediate and massive negative effects on public safety.

Pre-trial release/bail:

All individuals shall receive a presumption of own recognizance release without conditions. Conditions of release may only be considered when necessary to ensure public safety or return to court.
When cash bail is being requested under the limited circumstances delineated in this memo (felony sexual assault, violent felonies), DDAs shall recommend cash bail amounts that are aligned with the accused’s ability to pay.
DDAs shall not object to the release of anyone currently incarcerated in Los Angeles County on cash bail who would be eligible for release under the policies outlined in this memo.
So, if someone violently rapes someone else but is homeless, is a $20 cash bail aligned with their ability to pay? This is madness!

Now, I would have no problem with these reforms if they were in fact aimed at reducing non-violent or purely state contrived "positive conception" crimes. 

Things for which the state deems illegal, but do not actually harm anyone. I am a Conservative Libertarian and I will always be. 

But anyone who is familiar with California knows that it is not a long shot before they start saying that murder, theft and rape are "illnesses" rather than crimes.

It is certainly not farfetched to beleive that they will release truly dangerous people into the steets of Los Angeles. 

And with such a large homeless problem in L.A. already, is this truly what the county needs?