Gascón’s refused to hold Victor Bibiano accountable for a 2009 double murder. That decision was based solely on Gascón’s ideological policy. There is no science, no data, and no consideration for public safety supporting his position. It was a policy based upon having the “lightest touch” on all criminals. The same failed reasoning kept Justin Flores on the streets on June 14, 2022, when he murdered two El Monte police officers. It is why Mario Rodriguez was murdered on April 16, 2022.
Yet, today, Gascón denies responsibility for these failed policies. He rewrites history, ignores the consequences of his policies, and claims that facts, not ideology, guided his decisions.
Gascón’s statement is 100 percent false.
On December 7, 2020, Gascón issued an order, Special Directive 20-09. Like 20-08, the order that released Flores, it was a blanket policy that ended holding juveniles accountable for heinous criminal conduct. SD 20-09 stated: “The office will immediately END the practice of sending youth to the adult court system… All pending motions to transfer youth to adult court jurisdiction shall be withdrawn.”
No exceptions or individual factors were considered. No matter how heinous the crime, no matter how irredeemable the criminal, no matter the consequences of the policy, that person would remain in juvenile court.
Bibiano was a direct beneficiary of Gascón’s policy. Rodriguez was a direct victim of the same. Bibiano was a gang member who murdered two people and seriously injured a third. He was convicted by a jury. An appellate court upheld his conviction. Because of a change in the law, the only question now was whether he would serve his time in the juvenile system or state prison.
However, that first option was not feasible. If the court selected the juvenile system because of Bibiano’s age, that meant his immediate release even though he committed a double murder. Bibiano would receive no rehabilitative services, no monitoring, and no further punishment.
The District Attorney’s Office under the prior administration filed a motion asking the court asking to keep Bibiano in prison.
When Gascón took office, he ordered that this motion be withdrawn. This meant that Bibiano—despite murdering two people—would be released back into the public.
This decision was not based on the law or individual facts. Nor was any consideration given that because of Bibiano’s age—the rehabilitative services that Gascón says he believes in—would not be offered to Bibiano.
Nor did Gascón ever analyze the merits of the case (as he now claims). His policy did not allow for it. His decision was based entirely on his blanket-policy never to punish juveniles as criminals. He did this while ignoring the Court of Appeal order, the advice of the assigned trial attorney and other experienced prosecutors, and defying common sense.
Gascón today wants the public to believe that he did all this analysis. He wants the public to ignore his administration’s history of bad decision-making. He wants the public to forget about all the other absurd results caused by his policies.
Tim Scott says
Do these corrupt ADAs EVER get tired of vomiting out these screeds?
Stinger says
It just shows how desperate they have become to keep their status quo, quo.
It’s too bad that attorneys aren’t even half as intelligent as they think they are, or they would be able to understand and adapt to these overdue changes with ways to maintain their duties to justice.
asking for a friend says
Well – can you refute a single point that was made in the op ed?
Botkiller says
Of course they can’t.
Tim Scott says
I quit reading anything the ADAs put out after the first ten batches of pure BS.
Stinger says
The entire argument, as presented, is illogical as ‘argument from anecdote,’ one of the most common logical fallacies. Are we to believe that these things never happened under previous policies? They did. If this political hack was serious in his argument, he would have presented the statistics available to show the difference in crime under prior DA’s from the current DA. Since it is not the intent of the writer to argue logically, but emotionally, you will not find any actual refutable points. Your question is, unfortunately, moot for that reason.
Sonya says
Another word salad extravaganza brought to you by AV times resident self absorbed nerd who looks down his nose upon everybody.
That was the most jumbled pile of manure I’ve seen you post.
The crime rates are way up after this clown got in and enabled his socialist policies.
Sonya says
And the result of it is more people dead,
Almost 100% more people dead.
https://abc7.com/los-angeles-county-crime-statistics-homicide-murder/11489644/
Liars don’t figure. says
Hey stink , liars don’t figure and figures don’t lie. You and your only friend in the world tmmmay are busted. The data is there and you are just dangerously Unobservant, for real.
Stink stinks says
You are dangerously unobservant, liars don’t figure and figures never lie. The argument is valid and correct. Keep telling yourself whatever you want. You are wrong and will always be on the wrong side with this one , but hey everyone has a hill right?