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The death penalty is no longer off the table in Los Angeles County.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Tuesday that he would reverse his predecessor’s policy and resume seeking the death penalty “only in cases of very rare (murder) after a large and comprehensive review.”
“An extreme and category of pre-administration policies prohibit prohibiting prosecutors from banning prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in any case… This new policy recognizes the evolving decision that the death penalty should be restricted to the most malicious situation,” the DA’s office said in a news release.
George Gascon’s previous management has enacted a series of reforms, including halting death penalty prosecutions, eliminating bail for non-violent felony and misdemeanors, and no longer seeking to strengthen gang-related crimes.
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However, the highly visible incidents of violent crime and retail theft undermined Gascon’s plans and lost his re-elected bid for Hochman last year.
Gascon also elicited a lot of criticism from the victims of the crime and their families. In the September 2023 incident, Gascon excluded the death penalty for a man accused of murdering the sheriff’s deputy criminal, Clinkon Bloomer, at a press conference that included Clinkon Bloomer’s mother and fiancée. Both expressed shock at the announcement.
Hochman said the new policy will take into account opinions from both the defense attorney and the victim’s family.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman will hold a press conference on the Menendez Brothers’ Case in Los Angeles on Monday, March 10, 2025 (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
“I will remain unwavering to ensure that the punishment the office is fair, fit and appropriate with a comprehensive and thorough assessment of all special circumstances murder cases charged in Los Angeles County, consultation with the survivors of murder victims and full input on the factors that mitigate and worsen each case,” Hochman said.
However, even with Hochman’s announcement, it is unclear whether the executions will resume. Gov. Gavin Newsom established his own Holy District on the death penalty in 2019, but it remains.
Travis Schlepp contributed to this report.
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