“George Gascón, your days are numbered …,” Tania Owen, the widow of Sgt. Steve Owen, said during a news conference Wednesday outside the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles. “We will have a new election next year and someone else who is for the victims will be the head of the District Attorney’s Office.”
Owen, a retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s detective who is a co-chair of the recall campaign, called it a grassroots effort by victims and law enforcement.
“It is up to us to come out here and fight aggressively against George Gascón,” Owen said, noting that the recall effort needs to have signatures from more than 500,000 registered voters in Los Angeles County to qualify for the ballot.
The signature-gathering kickoff came just over a week after her husband’s killer, Trenton Trevon Lovell, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole following his guilty plea to murder and other charges after the District Attorney’s Office opted not to seek the death penalty against him.
Gascón has drawn criticism from crime victims and some prosecutors over a series of directives, issued the day he was sworn into office last December, that include not seeking the death penalty, not seeking sentence enhancements in most cases and keeping cases involving juveniles out of adult court. In a statement issued on Gascón’s behalf, Mark Gonzalez, chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, called the recall bid “just another Trumpian effort backed by right wing mega donors and those who intend to undermine the will of the voters” and said it “will not stand.”
Desiree Andrade, the campaign’s organizer and spokesperson, said she was “disgusted that George Gascón and his spokespeople dismiss this recall effort as partisan or political” and called it a “fight for what’s right and what’s wrong.”
“They are once again ignoring and belittling us victims,” said Andrade, who said her son, Julian, was “brutally tortured and murdered” three years ago. “Crime does not see Democrats. Crime does not see Republicans. Crime does not see Independents. Crime is a crime.”
Andrade called it an effort to seek justice for her son, other crime victims and future victims and to keep Los Angeles County safe from violent crime. She said her son’s five alleged killers had been facing either life in prison or the death penalty before Gascon was elected.
“When I learned about what was going to happen, I felt let down by the justice system and me — being a mother — I knew I needed to fight,” Andrade said. “I was my son’s voice. This is not justice … The sad truth is that he (Gascón) has re-victimized me and my family. He has total, utter disregard for us victims.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva — who has been at odds with Gascon — was among the first to sign the recall petition. Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley and former Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich are also among those supporting the recall.
In a March 17 Zoom call coinciding with his first 100 days in office, Gascón said his changes were “based on data and science that will enhance the safety for our community while reducing racial disparities and the misuse of incarceration,” and he vowed that the efforts are “just beginning.”
In the call, Gascon also said “the death penalty does not make us safer. It is morally wrong and fiscally irresponsible,” adding that the death penalty requires the families of murder victims to wait through decades of appeals and forces them to relive the trauma “for a sentence that will never be imposed” in a state in which Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a moratorium on executions. Gascón has also said research suggests “excessive sentences don’t enhance safety but do exacerbate recidivism, leading to more victims of crime.”
In an interview Wednesday with NBC News anchor Lester Holt, Gascón said, “As a prosecutor you’re not the lawyer for one person. You are the people’s lawyer. And not only do I have to be concerned with today’s victims and this victim in front of me, but I have to be concerned with victims of the future. I have to be concerned with the victimization of a community. I have to be concerned with how do we use public resources because every time that we are sending people to prisons, we’re taking resources away.”
He noted that he had formed a victims’ advisory board, adding that, “As the national polls and even a LA county recent poll tell us, they have sort of made the transition from the ‘eye for an eye’ to one of, ‘I want the system to deal with my trauma. I want the offender to be held accountable, but I want some rehabilitation because I want to avoid recidivism.”‘
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Troublemaker says
The D.A. campaigned on the things he is doing now. No surprise here. I am conservative and law and order. I support death penalty for Murder 1 and Murder 2 defendants. I am sickened by the verdicts in the Owen case and the others where I believe the defendants should be executed. However, Gascon was elected by the people. He has a term to fill out. Baring outright bribery or having sex with his secretary on his desk, he should remain. If you start kicking out people you elect every time you disagree with them, we will have no government. People won’t run for office or vote.
Claire says
George Gascon was elected on promises to shake up the office. Well, that is exactly what he is doing, and I suspect rather than using your brain to sift through the facts all the way through, there are those that cling to certain talking points intended to inflame. Most people wanting to recall George Gascon don’t have a clue, and I’m not here to school those that aren’t willing to be schooled.
Beecee says
Somewhere, there is a rock laughing at you.
Tim Scott says
lololol…and practically everywhere there are people laughing at you and your “epic burns”
Thalos Garison says
George Gascón is an innocent man who works hard every day to protect society. George is not responsible for things that occur in society. Tania Owens is a detective and if she has a problem with crime, she needs to create a crime watch organization to fix the problem instead of blaming others. She could collect funding for her anti-crime organization then she can train private detectives that investigate the crimes, to collect evidence that she transfers to the sheriff’s department. She can offer monetary compensation from 10.00 to 20,000 to people that anonymously text information about crimes, to her organization. Her organization can give classes on crime prevention and her organization can offer free surveillance cameras to low-income families to help identify criminals. She will be able to stop crime instead of crying about problems.
Warren says
Yeah I would love to hear you say that after a convicted felon was released from prison because of bad policy and caused your husband to be brutally murdered for doing his job. Oh and learn to read she is a former Detective she’s retired. Wake up people this has nothing to do with politics or view points people are dying and the only people who care are the ones losing people to violent crime. Of course you would say something ignorant like start an organization cause you know nothing about loss only thing you know is privilege and the internet. I think the only people in this country who should be allowed to voice there opinion on politics and policing are the ones who have served. If you have never been on the front lines in the medical field, law enforcement, or the military then shut your mouth cause you have done nothing to earn the right to speak out against people who have. I was a United States Marine for many years then a police officer for years after that and personally know the woman your bashing. Do yourself a favor and next time you think about commenting on the internet about things you know nothing about. Go to your local recruiter and sign up or join the Sheriff’s Department or become a nurse or doctor do something that helps fix the problem and stop being apart of it.
Tim Scott says
“Wake up people this has nothing to do with politics or view points people are dying and the only people who care are the ones losing people to violent crime.”
Wild guess, but the people losing people to badged thuggery probably care too. Steve Owen was killed on the job, and that’s a sad bit of business, but it doesn’t miraculously erase his history…which is not something you or any other current or former cop should be forced to defend. Clean up your own house, then worry about the DA’s office.
Alby says
Lancaster authorities dont give a damn about victims in their town, but they’re so quick to throw out the victim card on their behalf and name a park after them and its still not enough. They want blood because they’re gangsters hiding behind the badge. Now these badged lancaster turds have an idea how they have made other victims in this town feel. I hope it burns deep inside. And just like they’ve expressed to others, “they’ll get over it.”
How far we’ve fallen says
Garbage, another dope looking for participation credit. Alby’s ignorance is only magnified by his arrogance.
Alby says
Participation credit? What is this, college? You must be the dope of all dopes. You get plenty of credit for that. You must know arrogance very well to be able to call it out. Thats the problem with religious morons in this town. They go for the speck in someones eye and dont realize the turd in their eyes. May you drown in your arrogance. You would probably blame Gascon if you stubbed your toe.
Stinger says
Mission check: Which is the more important function for our criminal justice system; stopping crime or punishing criminals?
If it is merely maintaining a punitive (and excessively expensive) system for punishing criminals without regard to stopping cycles of crime, than, by all means, sign the petition.
If, however, the system is supposed to stop crime upon the population, then Gascon IS on the right track, criminologically speaking.
Reform Yes Gascon No says
Please tell us how Gascon is going to stop cycles of crime? We are all ears.
Gascon really needs to go says
Perhaps the strategy is to dump violent criminals back on the street to minimize the risk of them catching covid in jail – – . Let them catch it on the street like everyone else.
Tim Scott says
Perhaps you are pulling wild accusations out of your butt?
Tim Scott says
Are you really though?
My experience is that most people have a knee jerk response against anyone who isn’t saying “keep doing what we are doing.” Even if they at some level acknowledge that what we are doing isn’t working.
Stinger doesn’t need to tell you Gascon’s ideas for reform. That’s Gascon’s job, and he has actually done it. That’s what the local reactionaries are demanding he be recalled over.
Wrecks has no idea how to make things better. He never gives it a thought, because for Wrecks and his cronies things are going exactly the way they want. The local LASD is like their little private goon squad, sent after targets they select while reliably protecting them and their property.
Which case do you think gets higher priority at Lancaster Station…an arson with potential insurance fraud case at a building owned by a Wrecks crony, or a graffiti case in a housing development being built out by a Wrecks crony? Do you think the priorities would change if someone died in the fire? Law enforcement in the AV is definitely ALL about protecting and serving, the question is who.
And anyone who says anything other than “yeah let’s just keep on doing what we’re doing” is a threat to Wrecks and is gonna get bulldozed…if you let it happen.
Stinger says
I do not have the requisite time to attempt to give you the education that you seem to lack for understanding concepts beyond the most guttural, but I will give you a good starting place: Cesare Beccaria’s “On Crimes and Punishments.” of 1764. Now, before you start with calling this short treatise too old, I would point out 3 things. First, that this writing, and it’s criminological theories, was one of the several guiding publications that our founding fathers used in the creation of this country (Indeed, the 2nd Amendment reflects the sentiments of Chapter XL closely); Second, that the theories are still in use by criminologists and sociologists today, as they have withstood the tests of time and studied reviews over and over again; and, third, that this treatise is nice and short, making it a fairly easy read, with concentrated conceptualizations to make things clear easily.
Here is a link (it’s free): http://files.libertyfund.org/files/2193/Beccaria_1476_EBk_v6.0.pdf
I would call your attention to the chapters regarding prevention of crime [i.e.: Chapters XXVII, XXVIII, XLI, XLII, & XLIII] for the purposes of this discussion, but other areas of the treatise are interesting, as well.
How far we’ve fallen says
Criminological speaking? Really? You sound like a disinformation bot. Are you even real, Stinger?
Stinger says
More real than you, obviously.
Richard Hucklebridge says
Where can we get one of those petitions to sign, so that I might help to get rid of this lame LA county district Attorney?
jamie says
recallgeorgegascon.com/petition.
Ralph Baker says
What makes you think everyone is GOP? Your wonderful President is spending billions and your upset about a couple million on a murder trial ?
Tim Scott says
I don’t think everyone is, just the people who are obviously glaringly out of touch with reality and committed to staying that way.
Tim Scott says
LOL…that’s a real knee slapper there. Truly dazzling wit.
How is it arrogant to call people who spout nonsense “out of touch with the facts”? That’s a simple observation to make.
Dimscott says
@dimscott GFYS
Stinger says
“A million here, a million there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money.”
(with apologies to Sen Dirksen)
Janet Yellen says
I know a trillion sounds like a lot.
But, it’s only $1 more than 999,999, 999 billion and we’re used to billions thrown around everyday.
Recall says
György Schwartz, Reed Hastings, and Patricia Ann Quillin were the big money behind George Gascon’s LAC DA campaign.
Mark Alvarado says
In a statement issued on Gascón’s behalf, Mark Gonzalez, chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, called the recall bid “just another Trumpian effort backed by right wing mega donors and those who intend to undermine the will of the voters” and said it “will not stand.”
Mark Gonzalez is in for a rude awakening! Most of the people I know who have signed the recall petition so far have been Democrats, including almost everyone in my own family.
Tim Scott says
Maybe so, but I think the chances of a GOP driven recall effort doing anything but wasting the county’s money are very small, even if some democrats sign on. And I think it is clearly correct that the entire effort is intended to accomplish nothing other than wasting money. Make the democrats run extra campaigns ans just try to wear them down…the fact that the election process is going to cost the county millions of dollars that could have been spent on…I dunno, more vax clinics? Parks? Food banks?…none of that matters to the party first “patriots” of the GOP. Hasn’t for years…decades.
You think, wrong says
What does the cost matter? Just raise the tax rate again.
Recall says
Independent and No Party Preference voters are in on this as well. They are a quarter to a third of the electorate.
Desiree says
I am an independent and I have mostly voted Democratic in past elections….this being said I voted mostly republican this past election….the state of our country and of LA county has convinced me that Democrats are the scourge of our neighborhoods, cities and communities….GasCON….your days are #’rd!!
Alby says
Aint nothing independent when voting democrat.
Tim Scott says
Calling for the death penalty in a case where the defendant took a plea deal for LWOP and saved the state the expense of a full blown death penalty trial circus would be totally absurd. If her personal need for vengeance is driving what will be a multimillion dollar exercise for the taxpayers here that’s just sad.
How far we’ve fallen says
Tim, you obviously missed Gascon’s Stupid-A**ed statements when he announced the murderer’s plea deal. He said that Steve Owen sacrificed his life for community safety. That’s your hero you moron. Do you get it yet?