PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Barrington Plaza residents win fight against eviction

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Tenants of the Barrington Plaza apartments who have been fighting their evictions from the West Los Angeles complex won a major victory Thursday when a judge issued a tentative ruling finding the building’s owners improperly ordered tenants to vacate while never intending to “permanently” remove the units from the rental market.

LOS ANGELES – Tenants of the Barrington Plaza apartments in West Los Angeles, who won a major victory in July when a judge finalized a ruling finding the building’s owners improperly ordered tenants to vacate while never intending to “permanently” remove the units from the rental market, are now seeking nearly $1 million in attorneys’ fees.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: West LA Barrington Plaza residents win fight against eviction

The rent-controlled three-tower complex is owned by Douglas Emmett Inc. and Barrington Pacific LLC, which maintained the evictions were necessary to install fire sprinklers and other fire-safety infrastructure in a complex with a history of dangerous fires. But tenants facing eviction sued in 2023, saying the owners were unlawfully using the 1985 Ellis Act to evict all residents, and that the legislation actually was created to allow mom-and-pop landlords to leave the rental business and take the units off the rental market.

In court papers filed Thursday with Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Jay Ford III in advance of a Jan. 30 hearing, the tenants’ attorneys state that an award of $925,075 in attorneys’ fees is warranted for multiple reasons, including that the plaintiffs’ declaratory relief action “enforced important rights affecting the public resulting in the invalidation of hundreds of eviction notices seeking to oust tenants from one of Los Angeles’ largest rent stabilized apartment complexes, the largest mass eviction in Los Angeles history.”

Moreover, a significant benefit has been conferred on the general public because the lawsuit and the decision handed down was well-publicized and clarified that landlords may not seek to evict tenants under the Ellis Act when the owner only intends to displace tenants temporarily in order to make building repairs, according to the tenants’ attorneys’ court papers.

The tenants had to undertake private legal action because the city of Los Angeles would not file suit on their behalf, according to the tenants’ lawyers pleadings.

After a seven-day nonjury trial, Ford found that building owners Barrington Pacific and Douglas Emmett Inc. violated the requirements of the Ellis Act and the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance because they always envisioned returning the units to the rental market after the renovations were completed, even if those renovations took years to complete.

“Based on the preponderance of the evidence, the court finds on May 8, 2023, when Barrington Pacific filed its Notice of Intent to Withdraw Units from Rental Housing Use with the city and served its notice of termination on its tenants, Barrington Pacific did not intend to permanently remove those apartments from the rental market under the RSO or otherwise intend `to go out of business’ as contemplated under the Ellis Act,” Ford wrote. “But rather, Barrington Pacific had the intent to `temporarily’ withdraw the apartments in Barrington Plaza from rental use with the specific intent to relet those apartments as soon as it completed its planned renovations to all the apartments including installing fire and safety improvements, fire sprinklers, and other modernization upgrades, all which Barrington Pacific planned for and expected would take three to five years to complete.”

Tenants’ attorney Fran Campbell argued during the trial that a landlord “who is evicting its tenants under the Ellis Act to make repairs is not `going out of business.’ It is improving its property so it can increase its rents in the future, which is part of the business of landlording.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

The defense is appealing Ford’s rulings.

In October 2013, a fire erupted on the 11th floor of one of the complex’s towers, injuring two people, including a young girl, and displacing 100-150 residents. In January 2020, a fire began on the seventh floor, killing a 19-year-old exchange student from France and injuring about a dozen others, including three firefighters and a 3-month-old child.

Located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Barrington Avenue in West Los Angeles, eight floors in one of the complex’s three towers have been red-tagged and out of service since that 2020 fire. According to the building owners, renovation plans were submitted to the city later that year, but the city’s approval was conditioned on installation of sprinklers and other “life- safety equipment” throughout all three towers.

Building owners said last year the renovations were expected to cost more than $300 million. Attorneys for the owners argued during the trial that the renovations would likely mean extensive rebuilding of the buildings’ interiors and the apartments, meaning the existing units will essentially be demolished.

Barrington Plaza was built in 1961, prior to the 1974 ordinance requiring sprinklers in new high-rise buildings.

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The post Barrington Plaza tenants seek nearly $1M in attorneys’ fees appeared first on Attorney Legal Counsel.

Former Los Angeles deputy mayor Raymond Chan was convicted on Wednesday of racketeering, bribery, fraud and giving false statements to investigators in a sprawling pay-to-play corruption scandal at City Hall.

The federal jury reached the guilty verdict less than 24 hours after lawyers finished closing arguments, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Sentencing was set for June 10. Chan’s lawyer, John Hanusz, told the judge that they will appeal.

“Chan used his leadership position in City Hall to favour corrupt individuals and companies willing to play dirty,” US attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “With today’s verdict, we send a strong message that the public will not stand for corruption and that pay-to-play politics has no place in our community.”

This was Chan’s second trial in the bribery case involving downtown Los Angeles real estate development projects. The first fell apart after his lawyer, Harland Braun, was hospitalised and unable to return to work for months. A judge declared a mistrial last April.

China’s graft busters shame city boss for wasting US$21 billion on pet projects

In the latest trial, assistant US attorney Brian R. Faerstein told jurors that Chan and former city councilmember Jose Huizar used the downtown real estate boom of the prior decade to enrich themselves and their allies, the Times reported.

Faerstein described Chan, 67, as a crucial intermediary between Chinese developers looking to build high-rises and Huizar, who headed the powerful committee that shepherded such projects.

In opening arguments on March 12, Faerstein said Chan “got bribes for himself, and he got bribes for other public officials.”

Chan is the last defendant charged in the City Hall corruption investigation to go on trial. Huizar, who pleaded guilty to racketeering and tax evasion charges, was sentenced in January to 13 years in prison. More than a half-dozen others have been convicted or pleaded guilty to federal charges, including Huizar’s brother, Salvador Huizar.

“This case was, and always has been, about Jose Huizar,” Hanusz said.

Los Angeles City Hall. Photo: AP

Hanusz agreed that Huizar and the others were corrupt. But he said while Huizar accepted flights to Las Vegas, casino chips and lavish hotel stays, Chan received none of those things.

Chan, while working with developers, was motivated not by greed but by a desire to make Los Angeles more business-friendly, Hanusz said.

Chan was the top executive at the Department of Building and Safety until 2016, when he became the deputy mayor in charge of economic development under mayor Eric Garcetti, who was not implicated in the scandal. Chan held that job for slightly more than a year, then left city government to become a private-sector consultant, representing real estate developers.

Prosecutors have accused Chan of secretly setting up a consulting firm while working for the city and overseeing government actions for which he was paid by a developer after he left his city employment, the Times said.

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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter and close friend has been fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers following allegations of illegal gambling and theft from the Japanese baseball star.

Interpreter Ippei Mizuhara, 39, was let go from the team Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker. The team is in Seoul, South Korea this week as Ohtani makes his Dodgers debut, and Mizuhara was in Los Angeles’ dugout during their season-opening win.

Mizuhara was seen regularly chatting with Ohtani, who was the Dodgers’ designated hitter, seemingly discussing his at-bats over a tablet computer.

“In the course of responding to recent media inquiries, we discovered that Shohei has been the victim of a massive theft and we are turning the matter over to the authorities,” law firm Berk Brettler LLP said in a statement Wednesday.

Sports gambling is illegal in California, even as 38 states and the District of Columbia allow some form of it.

Mizuhara is a familiar face to baseball fans as Ohtani’s constant companion, interpreting for him with the media and at other appearances since Ohtani came to the U.S. in 2017. He even served as Ohtani’s catcher during the Home Run Derby at the 2021 All-Star Game. When Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels to sign a $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December, the club also hired Mizuhara.

The Dodgers said in a statement they were “aware of media reports” and are gathering information.

“The team can confirm that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara has been terminated,” the statement said. “The team has no further comment at this time.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, speaking before Thursday’s final game in the series with the San Diego Padres, said there was no plan to have Ohtani sit out.

“That was not considered,” Roberts said. “We’re here to play baseball. Yesterday we did a good job of focusing on the baseball game and we’ll do the same thing today.”

Roberts confirmed that Mizuhara had a meeting with the team on Wednesday but declined to elaborate. He said he did not know Mizuhara’s whereabouts and said a different interpreter would be used.

“Anything with that meeting, I can’t comment,” he said, adding that “Shohei’s ready. I know that he’s preparing.”

Security at the Gocheok Sky Dome was stepped up Thursday with police and dogs checking the hallways hours before the game started.

The Ohtani-interpreter news comes a day after a reported bomb threat against Ohtani. Police said they found no explosives.

On Tuesday, Mizuhara told ESPN that his bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball and also ban betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.

“I never bet on baseball,” Mizuhara told ESPN. “That’s 100%. I knew that rule … We have a meeting about that in spring training.”

Shohei Ohtani knocked in a run as the Dodgers topped the Padres 5-2 in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday.

The Associated Press could not immediately reach Mizuhara for comment Wednesday.

Mizuhara was born in Japan and moved to the Los Angeles area in 1991 so his father could work as a chef. He attended Diamond Bar High School in eastern Los Angeles County and graduated from the University of California, Riverside, in 2007.

After college, Mizuhara was hired by the Boston Red Sox as an interpreter for Japanese pitcher Hideki Okajima. In 2013, he returned to Japan to translate for English-speaking players on the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. That’s where he first met Ohtani, who joined the team that same year.

After Ohtani signed with the Angels in 2017, the team hired Mizuhara to work as his personal interpreter. ESPN said Mizuhara told the outlet this week he has been paid between $300,000 and $500,000 annually.

ESPN said it spoke to Mizuhara on Tuesday night, at which point the interpreter said Ohtani had paid his gambling debts at Mizuhara’s request. After the statement from Ohtani’s attorneys saying the player was a victim of theft, ESPN says Mizuhara changed his story Wednesday and claimed Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.

Mizuhara said he incurred more than $1 million in debt by the end of 2022 and his losses increased from there.

“I’m terrible (at gambling). Never going to do it again. Never won any money,” Mizuhara said. “I mean, I dug myself a hole and it kept on getting bigger, and it meant I had to bet bigger to get out of it and just kept on losing. It’s like a snowball effect.”

How has the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani affected the media, the team and fans? Los Angeles Times Dodgers beat writer Jack Harris explains.

It would be the biggest gambling scandal for baseball since Pete Rose agreed to a lifetime ban in 1989 after an investigation for MLB by lawyer John Dowd found Rose placed numerous bets on the Cincinnati Reds to win from 1985-87 while playing for and managing the team.

The MLB gambling policy, posted in every locker room, prohibits players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball and also bans betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers. Betting on baseball is punishable with a one-year ban from the sport. The penalty for betting on other sports illegally is at the commissioner’s discretion.

Ohtani’s stardom has spread worldwide, even as the two-way player has remained largely media-shy. The news of his recent marriage to Mamiko Tanaka shocked fans from Japan to the U.S. While he underwent surgery on his right elbow last September and will not pitch this season, he will be used as a designated hitter and there is a possibility he could play in the field. He went 2 for 5 with an RBI in his first game, the season opener against the San Diego Padres in Seoul.

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If you’ve driven in Los Angeles chances are you’ve come across a Larry H. Parker billboard or seen a commercial that includes his notable slogan “We’ll Fight For You!”

The famed auto accident and injury attorney died at the age of 75, as confirmed to NBC4 by his family.

Parker attended Cal State LA where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. He graduated from Southwestern Law School in 1973 and started his firm shortly after.

The cause of his death has not yet been disclosed.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of the country’s most progressive prosecutors, George Gascón, has advanced to a runoff in his reelection bid for Los Angeles County’s district attorney, surviving a primary race that pit him against 11 challengers.

Gascón will compete in November against the second highest vote-getter from Tuesday’s primary in the race to lead an agency that prosecutes cases in the most populous county in the U.S.

Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and one-time California attorney general candidate who ran as a Republican in 2022, was closely behind Gascón in partial returns.

Hochman has tried to capitalize on voter anger over crime and homelessness, issues that led voters to unseat San Francisco District attorney Chesa Boudin in a recall election in 2022. In his campaign ads, Hochman, a defense attorney, vowed to change the direction of the district attorney, saying: “It’s time we had a DA who fights for victims, not criminals.”

To win the primary outright in California, Gascón needed to get a 50%-plus-one vote. Anything less triggers a runoff race between the top two candidates in November regardless of party.

Political experts said they had expected Gascón to advance from the nonpartisan primary but are less optimistic about his chances in the fall.

The primary set Gascón against opponents who ranged from line prosecutors in his own office to former federal prosecutors to county judges. They sought to blame Gascón and his progressive policies for widespread perceptions the city is unsafe, highlighting shocking footage of a series of brazen smash-and-grab robberies at luxury stores. The feeling of being unsafe is so pervasive that even the Los Angeles mayor and police chief said in January that they were working to fix the city’s image.

But while property crime increased nearly 3% within the sheriff’s jurisdiction of Los Angeles County from 2022 to 2023, violent crime decreased almost 1.5% in the same period.

Gascón was elected on a criminal justice reform platform in 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police. He faced a recall attempt within his first 100 days and a second attempt later, which both failed to get on the ballot.

During his first term, Gascón immediately imposed his campaign agenda: not seeking the death penalty; not prosecuting juveniles as adults; ending cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies; and no longer filing enhancements triggering stiffer sentences for certain elements of crimes, repeat offenses or gang membership.

He was forced to roll back some of his biggest reforms early in his tenure, such as initially ordering the elimination of more than 100 enhancements and elevating a hate crime from misdemeanor to a felony. The move infuriated victims’ advocates, and Gascón backpedaled, restoring enhancements in cases involving children, older people and people targeted because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.

His challengers have pledged to reverse many or nearly all of his most progressive policies, such as his early orders to eliminate filing for sentencing enhancements.

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The post Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón advances to runoff appeared first on Attorney Legal Counsel.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman has advanced to a runoff against Los Angeles County District attorney George Gascón, one of the country’s most progressive prosecutors.

Gascón and Hochman will compete in November in the race to lead an agency that prosecutes cases in the most populous county in the U.S.

Hochman was a one-time California attorney general candidate. Running as a Republican in 2022, he lost to Democratic candidate Rob Bonta. Hochman’s district attorney campaign says he raised $2 million in his bid to unseat Gascón.

To win the primary outright in California, a candidate needs to get a 50%-plus-one vote. Anything less triggers a runoff race between the top two candidates in November regardless of party.

Political experts said Gascón was expected to advance from the nonpartisan primary but are less optimistic about his chances in the fall.

Hochman emerged from 11 challengers running against Gascón, who was elected on a criminal justice reform platform in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by police. Gascón faced a recall attempt within his first 100 days and a second attempt later, which both failed to get on the ballot.

Hochman has tried to capitalize on voter anger over crime and homelessness, issues that led voters to unseat San Francisco District attorney Chesa Boudin in a recall election in 2022.

In his campaign ads, Hochman, a defense attorney, vowed to change the direction of the district attorney, saying: “It’s time we had a DA who fights for victims, not criminals.”

The challengers, ranging from line prosecutors in Gascón’s office to county judges to former federal prosecutors like Hochman, sought to blame Gascón and his progressive policies for widespread perceptions that the city is unsafe. They highlighted shocking footage of a series of brazen smash-and-grab robberies at luxury stores. The feeling of being unsafe is so pervasive that even the Los Angeles mayor and police chief said in January that they were working to fix the city’s image.

But while property crime increased nearly 3% within the sheriff’s jurisdiction of Los Angeles County from 2022 to 2023, violent crime decreased almost 1.5% in the same period.

During his first term, Gascón immediately imposed his campaign agenda: not seeking the death penalty; not prosecuting juveniles as adults; ending cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies; and no longer filing enhancements triggering stiffer sentences for certain elements of crimes, repeat offenses or gang membership.

He was forced to roll back some of his biggest reforms early in his tenure, such as initially ordering the elimination of more than 100 enhancements and elevating a hate crime from misdemeanor to a felony. The move infuriated victims’ advocates, and Gascón backpedaled, restoring enhancements in cases involving children, older people and people targeted because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.

Hochman has vowed to reverse many or nearly all of his most progressive policies, such as his early orders to eliminate filing for sentencing enhancements.

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The post Nathan Hochman advances to Los Angeles County district attorney runoff against George Gascón appeared first on Attorney Legal Counsel.

Soft-on-crime Los Angeles County District attorney George Gascon faces a full field of primary challengers on Tuesday after dodging two previous recall attempts aimed at ousting him over his progressive prosecutorial policies.

Eleven candidates — including several of Gascon’s current and former deputies — are competing with the incumbent to be LA’s top law-and-order enforcer in an open-primary race that is expected to lead to a runoff election between the top two vote-getters in November.

Gascon survived one recall effort within his first 100 days in office and a second in 2022, when organizers narrowly missed collecting the necessary signatures to trigger a special election to oust him.

The left-wing prosecutor won election in 2020 on a criminal justice reform pledge following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis — but critics say his policies have enabled violent and repeat offenders to evade justice.

Those policies include decisions to abolish cash bail, to not prosecute juvenile offenders as adults, to lighten sentencing guidelines for gang members and to retry cases involving prisoners convicted of both serious felonies or non-violent crimes — all with the help of career public defenders he hired.

Radical District attorney George Gascon faces a field of primary challengers on Tuesday in Los Angeles after dodging two previous recall attempts aimed at ousting him over his progressive prosecution policies. AFP via Getty Images

Gascon is one of many progressive prosecutors backed by liberal billionaire George Soros, receiving more than $6 million from his dark money network, according to the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.

Los Angeles in October was dubbed the number one city for organized retail theft for the fifth year in a row, according to a report from the National Retail Foundation, amounting to $18.2 billion in losses.

Violent crime decreased slightly by 3.2% last year, while homicides dropped by 17% after reaching a 15-year high in 2022.

Gascon survived recall efforts within his first 100 days in office and in 2022, when organizers narrowly missed collecting the necessary signatures to trigger a special election to oust him. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

A January California Elections and Policy poll found a majority (51%) of Los Angeles voters disapprove of Gascon’s job performance, but he still leads the other candidates by a slight plurality, with 15% support.

Jonathan Hatami, a child abuse prosecutor who worked under Gascon, and former federal prosecutors Nathan Hochman — a 2022 GOP candidate for California attorney general — and Jeff Chemerinsky all showed single-digit support.

They were followed by Maria Ramirez, another Gascon subordinate who sued her boss ahead of the 2022 recall effort, along with Craig Mitchell, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge whose term ends in January 2025.

A January California Elections and Policy poll found a majority (51%) of Los Angeles voters disapprove of Gascon’s job performance, but he still leads the other candidates by a slight plurality, with 15% support. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

“By prosecuting criminals & following the law, which is really our main job, the DA holds wrongdoers accountable, helps ensure that justice is served, deters future criminal behavior & victimization, and promotes a sense & feeling of safety & security within our community,” Hatami said on X Monday.

“The DA also significantly impacts the lives of victims and their families by providing justice, closure and a small sense that survivors and their lost loved ones were heard and mattered,” he added.

“George Gascón never ran or campaigned on any of that. In his first two years, he didn’t even mention those ideals. He’s also never once been an actual prosecutor, so I also think he just doesn’t believe in any of that. Unlike Gascón, I do.”

At least 11 candidates — including several of his current and former deputies and former GOP candidate for California attorney general Nathan Hochman (above) — are competing with Gascon to be LA’s top cop, in an open-primary race that is expected to lead to a runoff election in November. AP

Eric Siddall, yet another prosecutor who served under Gascon and is in the running, said the DA never prosecuted a case in court before his election and “continues making politically motivated prosecutions where he puts ideology ahead of evidence, and his personal preferences ahead of the law, leading to a staggering number of defeats in the courtroom.”

“This ideology-driven incompetence doesn’t just cost taxpayers money — it also diverts valuable personnel away from taking on important cases to put violent criminals behind bars and keep our community safe — instead sending them on wild goose chases that can’t be won,” Siddall said on X last week.

It could be days before the top two vote-getters are known. Polls will remain open until 11 p.m. ET, while mail-in ballots will be accepted from registered voters through March 12.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Southern California judge charged with killing his wife during an argument while he was drunk pleaded not guilty to murder Tuesday, and his lawyer says it was an “accidental shooting.”

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ricardo Ocampo ordered Orange County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Ferguson, who appeared in court in a suit and tie, to surrender his passport, submit to searches, and wear monitoring devices for blood alcohol content and GPS as part of new bail conditions sought by prosecutors. Ferguson, who is free on $1 million bail, also is barred from possessing firearms and alcohol and frequenting places such as bars and liquor stores.

After the hearing, Ferguson’s lawyers told reporters the long-time judge and former prosecutor was confident a jury would agree with him that no crime was committed.

“This was an unintentional, accidental shooting and not a crime,” attorney Paul Meyer said.

The hearing was held in Los Angeles because Ferguson has been a judge hearing criminal cases in a courtroom about 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the southeast in Orange County. The next hearing in Ferguson’s case was set for Oct. 30.

The 72-year-old was arrested on Aug. 3 at his home in the upscale neighborhood of Anaheim Hills after police found his wife, Sheryl Ferguson, shot to death. Prosecutors said in court filings that the couple had been arguing and the judge was drinking when he pulled a pistol from an ankle holster and shot her in the chest. The couple’s adult son and Ferguson called 911, and Ferguson texted his court clerk and bailiff to say he had shot his wife, according to the filings.

He texted: “I just lost it. I just shot my wife. I won’t be in tomorrow. I will be in custody. I’m so sorry,” according to the filing.

Prosecutors argued the new bail conditions protect public safety and ensure Ferguson doesn’t flee after authorities found 47 weapons, including the pistol used in the shooting, and more than 26,000 rounds of ammunition at his home. They say the weapons are legally owned but a rifle registered in his name is still missing.

Ferguson was charged with one count of murder and weapons-related enhancements.

Larry Rosen, Sheryl Ferguson’s brother, spoke with reporters after Tuesday’s hearing and said it was “hell” when Ferguson looked at him in the courtroom.

“My sister was a wonderful person, very caring, very selfless,” Rosen said. “The family is absolutely in shock.”

Rosen declined to discuss Ferguson’s lawyers’ claims that the shooting was an accident and said he would defer to the police and prosecutors who are investigating.

Rosen said his sister helped take care of him since he was still a minor when their mother died. He also said she was an active member of her community, participating in Boy Scouts and activities with her now-adult son. The son, who authorities said called 911 after the shooting, is the main focus of the family now, Rosen said.

“It’s a tragedy for me. I can’t even fathom what he’s going through right now,” Rosen said.

The arrest shocked the Southern California legal community and officials have been grappling with how the case should be handled. The district attorney’s office in Orange County — a cluster of cities that are collectively home to more than 3 million people — asked state officials to weigh in on whether there was a conflict before charging him last week.

Ferguson has been a judge since 2015. He started his legal career in the Orange County district attorney’s office in 1983 and went on to work narcotics cases, for which he won various awards. He served as president of the North Orange County Bar Association from 2012 to 2014.

In 2017, Ferguson was admonished by the Commission on Judicial Performance for posting a statement on Facebook about a judicial candidate “with knowing or reckless disregard for the truth of the statement,” and for being Facebook friends with attorneys appearing before him in court, according to a copy of the agency’s findings.

Ferguson said on his Facebook page that he grew up in a military family and traveled throughout Asia as a child. He went on to attend college and law school in California. He and his wife were married in 1996.

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The post California judge pleads not guilty to murder in wife’s death appeared first on Attorney Legal Counsel.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County voters are set to decide next month if embattled District attorney George Gascón will remain the head of the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office in a race centered on perceptions of public safety.

Gascón, who was elected in 2020 on a criminal justice platform alongside a wave of progressive prosecutors, faces 11 challengers in the March 5 nonpartisan primary. Voting is already underway.

Gascón’s challengers say his policies are to blame for rising crime, including a series of brazen smash-and-grab robberies at luxury stores that have garnered national attention from critics who say California’s Democratic leaders are allowing lawlessness. Property crime increased nearly 3% within the sheriff’s jurisdiction of Los Angeles County from 2022 to 2023.

Violent crime, however, decreased more than 3% in the city of Los Angeles and nearly 1.5% in the county in 2023 compared to the year before. It is still above pre-pandemic levels, and the feeling of being unsafe is so pervasive that even the Los Angeles mayor and police chief said last month they are working to fix the city’s image.

“There isn’t a community, I believe, in LA County that would say things are on the right track from a crime perspective,” said Michael Bustamante, an election expert and public affairs consultant who is not involved in the race.

Gascón was elected after a summer of unrest following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

He immediately imposed his campaign agenda: not seeking the death penalty; not prosecuting juveniles as adults; ending cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies; and no longer filing enhancements triggering stiffer sentences for certain elements of crimes, repeat offenses or gang membership.

Gascón quickly faced backlash, including a recall attempt within his first 100 days and a second attempt later, which both failed to get on the ballot.

His challengers include local prosecutors Jonathan Hatami and Eric Siddall and former federal prosecutors Jeff Chemerinsky and Nathan Hochman, a one-time attorney general candidate, who all have garnered notable endorsements.

To win outright, a candidate must receive a 50%-plus-one vote, an unlikely outcome in the largest-ever field to seek the office. Anything less triggers a runoff race between the top two candidates in November to lead an agency made up of almost 1,000 lawyers who prosecute cases in the most populous county in the U.S.

Experts believe Gascón will survive the primary but are less optimistic about his chances in November.

“Nobody has really broken out. And with a large number of each candidate getting a decent amount of support, it could become a random thing who gets into the runoff,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of The John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which focuses on social science research in Los Angeles.

The challenger field is largely campaigning on a reversal of nearly all of Gascón’s progressive policies. They’re running with a more tough-on-crime approach but are mindful of going too far for LA County’s Democratic electorate.

Chemerinsky, for example, vowed to undo almost all of Gascón’s practices but said he would keep the ban on the use of the death penalty.

Gascón’s first term has been rocky. His orders to prosecutors to stop seeking longer prison sentences and cease using sentencing enhancements, among other controversial policies, were met with immediate resistance.

The union representing rank-and-file prosecutors sued Gascón, arguing he cannot bar the use of sentencing enhancements for prior felony convictions under the state’s “three strikes” law. The California Supreme Court heard arguments last year and has not issued a ruling.

Gascón faced a slew of no-confidence votes by municipal governments across the county. Other county district attorneys took the unusual step of criticizing his policies as reckless and tried to take cases from his jurisdiction.

He also was forced to roll back some of his biggest reforms, such as initially ordering more than 100 enhancements dropped and elevating a hate crime from misdemeanor to a felony. The move infuriated victims’ advocates and Gascón backpedaled, restoring enhancements in cases involving children, elderly people and people targeted because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.

“I think that most of the damage to Gascón happened relatively early,” Sonenshein said.

The unions representing rank-and-file Los Angeles Police Department officers and Los Angeles County deputy sheriffs, respectively, have not publicly endorsed anyone in the primary. In 2020, both heavily opposed Gascón, a former police chief and two-term San Francisco district attorney.

The Association of Deputy District Attorneys, representing LA County prosecutors, has endorsed Siddall, its former vice president.

Hochman’s campaign said Thursday he has raised $2 million. Gascón, who got more than $12 million in contributions in 2020 — had nearly $112,000 cash-on-hand in his campaign account as of Feb. 17, according to campaign finance records. Experts said that’s a fraction of what’s needed to run a county-wide campaign.

Reports from Thursday’s filing deadline have not been made public yet.

The other candidates are David S. Milton, Debra Archuleta, Maria Ramirez, Dan Kapelovitz, Lloyd “Bobcat” Masson, John McKinney and Craig J. Mitchell.

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