The granite staircase leading up to the old federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles is sturdy and imposing. But on Friday, they were dotted with something disturbing that I never expected.
ash.
The Eaton Fire, 15 miles to the northeast, was still raging. Downtown was eerily empty. The midday sun was bright, painting everything a sickly golden hue.
I was there to interview US Atty. E. Martin Estrada is expected to announce on Monday that he will resign on Friday as chief of the Central District of California, which prosecutes federal crimes in coastal counties from San Luis Obispo to Orange.
He was scheduled to make his plans public early last week. But he held off after the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history brought a sad end to his two-and-a-half years as Southern California’s top federal prosecutor.
Members of his team lost their homes in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Many more people had to be evacuated. Obstructing firefighting operations with a drone (a federal crime) meant prosecutors were ready to bring charges if necessary. Scammers are already preying on victims, a crime that Estrada’s office prosecuted in the wake of the 2023 Monterey Park shooting and other local tragedies.
“If I had a teacher, I wouldn’t leave the company, especially in a time of crisis,” Estrada said from a large table in his 12th-floor office. The two computer screens on the standing desk behind him lit up. “I don’t like to leave things undone, but I have no choice here, so I have to go.”
Even if he doesn’t quit what he described as a “labor of love,” he doesn’t have long to live, as Donald Trump will soon become president.
It is customary for lawyers in the United States to submit their resignations when a new president takes office. They know that the next commander-in-chief usually wants a fresh start and prefers to appoint people from his own crew. That’s why Estrada wanted to talk to me.
A Democrat and the first U.S. attorney of Guatemalan descent, he emphasizes diversity in his job and profession, speaking in both English and Spanish at news conferences. He was the type of U.S. attorney who would invite civil rights icon Dolores Huerta to speak to his team. She led her team shouting “¡Sí se puede!” And he regularly spoke to inner-city kids about the importance of people like them in his position.
That idea is anathema to the incoming Trump administration, and Estrada acknowledged that politics in Washington is more “partisan” than ever before.
“There’s so much fear and concern in the community about the next administration, what will happen and what won’t happen,” said the son of Guatemalan immigrants. “But it’s important that people know this great work will continue.”
US attorney. E. Martin Estrada in his office at the Old Federal Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles in 2024.
(Michael Blacksher/Los Angeles Times)
Estrada sounded serious, even creepy, befitting his lean physique and boyish appearance. I also know not to underestimate his insight. After all, this guy’s history with all kinds of criminals speaks for itself. His prosecutors won a corruption conviction against Los Angeles political powerhouse Mark Ridley Thomas (Ridley-Thomas is appealing), and former Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar and a former Orange County supervisor. A guilty plea was obtained from Andrew Doe. Estrada praised the team for going after white supremacist gangs, fentanyl dealers, environmental polluters and other criminals without favoring political parties or ideologies.
“So I really think this work is going to continue because we got it done and we hit shots up the middle,” he said.
Would the 47-year-old stay in the job if President Trump asked him to?
“Yes, I will,” he answered without hesitation. “But given the state of politics in Washington, D.C., it’s clear that’s not in the cards.”
Does it upset him?
“I’ve been through different administrations: Republican and Democratic,” Estrada said. “I see what people go through. So I truly believe that the culture here is one of doing the right thing for the right reasons. My hope is that the new administration They look at the work that’s been done and say, “I agree, we need to support this.”
Any advice for his successor?
“Look at what we’ve done, listen to the community, see what needs this community has, and I think that will lead you down the same path that I did.”
After taking a few weeks off to indulge in his passions of running and cycling, Estrada plans to return to private practice, where he worked for eight years before being appointed by President Biden in 2022. Prior to that, he served as a prosecutor in the office he currently directs. . In the future, he hopes to focus on civil rights litigation. Because “civil rights litigation is in my blood, so I have no choice but to do it.”
For now, I have one last week of work left. He teased that he had a “major announcement” about a case, but other than a smile, he didn’t give any details.
“My philosophy has always been like running,” Estrada said. “I’ve always been a racer. Finish to tape.”
He glanced at press secretary Ciaran McEvoy. He silently watched our 30-minute conversation.
“They’ll be happy to see me go,” he said of his staff. “I was like the Energizer Bunny.”
He and McEvoy have known each other since fourth grade at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Costa Mesa.
“No one is going to criticize Martin for being lazy,” McEvoy deadpanned, drawing laughter from his boss.
“We have accomplished a lot,” Estrada replied. “I want to continue to develop young lawyers and help them get on the right path. But I’m confident they’ll get there.”
US attorney. E. Martin Estrada is preparing to announce criminal charges against Ippei Mizuhara, a former interpreter for Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, in federal court in downtown Los Angeles in 2024.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
I looked at all the memorabilia that had yet to be boxed and asked him which one best represented his time as a U.S. attorney. He pointed to three photos of Huerta, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Biden.
Estrada ultimately focused on framed letters from students at Utah Street Span School in Boyle Heights, a school he has visited over the years. It included their signatures, smiling flowers, and messages of gratitude and congratulations.
“That’s what’s important to me, not just my personal legacy and what people have written about me, but having a real impact on people’s lives,” he said. “I truly believe that the work I do in this office impacts people’s lives.”
He brought up the Conception case. In 2019, a dive boat caught fire off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, killing 34 people in the deadliest maritime disaster in modern California history. In 2023, federal prosecutors won a conviction from a federal jury that found the boat’s captain, Jerry Boylan, guilty of gross negligence. The judge sentenced Boylan to four years in prison (he remains free on appeal).
Estrada met with the victims’ families “more than six times” and remembers the mother in particular, who spoke only Spanish.
“I talked to her many times about the loss of my daughter,” he said. “I sought to hire people who reflected the diversity of the field, and I hope that continues for many years.”
we shook hands. The sky outside seemed even smokier than before. Estrada once again talks about the wildfires and how they have colored his final weeks, and how proud he is of those he has worked with and those he will leave behind. did.
“They’ve really come together. They’ve been telling their affected colleagues, ‘Come with me,’ ‘What do you need?’ “This is a reminder that our people are not moguls,” he said. “They’re members of the community, just like the people they serve. That’s a beautiful thing.”
The U.S. attorney in Southern California excused himself for the next five days and returned to work at a standing desk.
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