Races for local chief prosecutors’ offices were once about who appeared to be toughest on crime. Often called district attorneys or state attorneys, local chief prosecutors are publicly elected at county and sometimes city levels to steer criminal prosecutions on behalf of the people of a particular state. But since roughly a decade ago, a…

New Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has ordered prosecutors to stop pursuing prison sentences for many criminal cases, in a shake up of how his office will address some crimes, with just days on the job. Bragg’s office will “not seek a carceral sentence” except in cases of homicide, domestic violence felonies, public corruption, and…

LOS ANGELES—Amidst a wave of “smash-and-grab” robberies and other crimes, a former prosecutor is claiming that more than 50 prosecutors, support and victim services staff, have quit their jobs over San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s progressive criminal justice reform policies. “The office is imploding,” said the source, who produced a list of those who’ve…

LOS ANGELES—Amidst a wave of “smash-and-grab” robberies and other crimes, a former prosecutor is claiming that more than 50 prosecutors, support and victim services staff, have quit their jobs over San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s progressive criminal justice reform policies. “The office is imploding,” said the source, who produced a list of those who’ve…

Los Angeles and San Francisco have embraced a “reform” in their criminal justice system by having fewer sentences and punishments for certain crimes. But does the result match the intention? My guest is Kathleen Cady, a former prosecutor with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Bureau of Victim Services. She talks about the reform in the…

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has been awarded a $1.5 million grant for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) training and prosecution. “This grant will further our goals of preventing impaired driving and reducing alcohol and drug-related fatalities and injuries,” District Attorney George Gascon said in an Oct. 29 statement. The funding will allow the office’s DUI Training and…

SAN DIEGO—A man and woman who took part in a scheme to use prison inmates’ personal information to fraudulently obtain unemployment benefits have pleaded guilty to felony charges of making false statements on an unemployment application. Ryan Kubista and Maereichelle Marquez, both 34, entered their pleas Sept. 30, about six months after the San Diego…

Out of 4,000 inmates sentenced in Sacramento County, more than 1,300 served less than half of their sentence, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s (SCDA) office. SCDA Anne Marie Schubert announced on May 26 that she and 43 other elected District Attorneys across California have filed a civil lawsuit against the California Department of…

Out of 4,000 inmates sentenced in Sacramento County, more than 1,300 served less than half of their sentence, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s (SCDA) office. SCDA Anne Marie Schubert announced on May 26 that she and 43 other elected District Attorneys across California have filed a civil lawsuit against the California Department of…

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Sept. 27 that his office has identified nearly 60,000 cannabis convictions, some going back three decades, that will be dismissed as part of what he calls an effort “to reverse the injustices of drug laws.” “Dismissing these convictions means the possibility of a better future to thousands…