The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors this week approved the hiring of a new special prosecutor to investigate police misconduct cases. Atty. Nathan Hockman moved to remove the person his predecessor had appointed to the position.
Michael Gennaco, a former federal prosecutor who previously led Los Angeles County’s Office of Independent Review and oversaw troubled agencies such as the Department of Children and Family Services and the county sheriff’s department, represents the district attorney’s office. He made his first court appearance. Wednesday in a downtown courtroom. His contract was approved by the board on Tuesday, and Hockman announced the transfer on Thursday.
Michael Gennaco, pictured at a 2006 press conference, would be assigned two high-profile cases. It is unclear whether he is considering other cases or future cases of alleged police misconduct or brutality.
(Rick Francis/Associated Press)
Gennaco replaces former Dist. Lawrence Middleton. Atty. Georges Gascón was hired in 2021 to re-examine a number of controversial police shootings that the district attorney had previously declined to prosecute. Mr. Middleton has only brought one case to court during that time, but the Times reported last year that he obtained a warrant to arrest a former LAPD officer in another case.
Henaco said in an interview that Hochman contacted him after he defeated Gascón and asked him to take over Middleton’s case. It is unclear whether Gennaco will consider other cases or investigate new cases of alleged police misconduct or brutality, which is normally handled by the department’s Justice System Integrity Unit.
“Procedurally, substantively, factually, we need to figure out where the case is and then decide where to go from there,” he said.
Middleton was notified of the termination of his contract on Jan. 7, a county spokesperson said. He declined to comment.
The move marked a change in position for Hochman, who had repeatedly attacked Gascón’s hiring of a special prosecutor during his campaign and questioned the need for such a position. Records show Middleton billed the county for just over $1 million between June 2021 and October 2024, a figure that infuriated the public prosecutor. Gennaco’s contract is for 18 months, but Hockman has the ability to extend it.
Hochman did not respond to a series of questions about Genacco’s hiring, but his office issued a statement Thursday saying the appointment affirms the new prosecutor’s “unwavering commitment to justice, accountability, and public trust.” He said it was reflected.
“Our goal is to ensure transparency and accountability while strengthening public confidence in the justice system,” Hochman said. “Michael Genaco’s extensive experience and expertise in civil rights litigation will be invaluable as we continue to re-evaluate previous decisions and take a new look at officer-involved shootings. .”
Miriam Krinsky, a former federal prosecutor and founder of Fair and Just Prosecution, a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform, praised Gennako as an important addition to Hochman. did. Hochman questions the willingness of police to prosecute given the widespread support from law enforcement. Labor union.
“He’s tenacious. He knows more about police oversight than anyone in California. He has great integrity. He’s very dedicated to this job,” Krinsky said. said. “If you think about what he’s done throughout his career…he knows how to get through the challenges of these cases.”
Gennaco and Hochman worked together for many years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, where Gennaco worked on many high-profile civil rights cases and other cases until 2001, when he was named director of Los Angeles County’s newly created Office of Independent Review. Prosecuted a case of police misconduct.
According to a report by the county’s Jail Citizens Commission, the department has investigated issues of jail violence and excessive force for more than a decade, detailing flaws in the way the Sheriff’s Department investigates deaths in jails. It is said that the disciplinary measures within the agency have been improved. A violent incident that occurred in 2012.
In recent years, Gennaco has conducted audits and reviews of use-of-force incidents in Burbank and Anaheim. He also said he had considered several armed charges against Gascón.
Genaco and his former office also faced some criticism for not doing enough to uncover a pattern of abuse that exploded into public view when the FBI launched an investigation. The case ultimately resulted in the conviction of former sheriff Lee Baca, for whom Hochman once served as a defense attorney. Advisor. Some members of the oversight board also questioned whether Gennaco and the board had “compromised” and lacked independence from the sheriff’s office.
Gennaco said anyone who questions his commitment to police accountability should simply check his resume.
“I’m never shy about criticizing the police when they deserve criticism and praising them when they don’t,” he said. “I’m trying to play it down the line.”
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