LA district attorney allows prosecutors to seek death penalty again
- Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman is now allowing county prosecutors to seek the death penalty again, reversing a ban implemented by his predecessor, George Gascón, fulfilling a campaign promise made after ousting Gascón last year.
- The reinstatement of the death penalty consideration comes after Gascón, who took office in December 2020, implemented a policy against seeking capital punishment, reflecting a broader discontent with progressive criminal justice policies.
- The new policy changes relate to special-circumstance murder cases, with the District Attorney's Office stating that the death penalty will be pursued infrequently and only in the most egregious cases, after an extensive review.
- According to the District Attorney's Office, defense attorneys will have "enhanced opportunities" to share information about defendants, and the views of survivors of murder victims will be sought and considered before final determinations are made.
- California's death penalty remains a complex issue, as Governor Gavin Newsom issued a moratorium on executions in 2019, ordering the closure of the execution chamber at San Quentin, where a majority of the state's 592 condemned inmates, including 206 from LA County, were previously housed, with the last execution in the state occurring in 2016.
40 Articles
40 Articles


The Death Penalty Is Back In Los Angeles
Murder might get you the death penalty in Los Angeles. Lost Angeles County’ new district attorney, Nathan Hochman ended his progressive predecessor’s blanket ban on capital punishment this week. “Effective immediately, the prior administration’s extreme and categorical policy forbidding prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in any case is rescinded,” the Los Angeles County District ...
Jury reaches death penalty verdict for man who murdered Sacramento police officer Tara O'Sullivan
A jury has reached a death penalty verdict for the man who killed Sacramento Police Officer Tara O'Sullivan, the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said Thursday.
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