La Verne City Council Votes No Confidence In LA County DA Gascón

LA VERNE, CA — La Verne on Monday became the latest city in Los Angeles County to approve a vote of no confidence in Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

Councilmembers voted 3-2 to approve the nonbinding resolution, which expressed the city's dissatisfaction with policies Gascón's has enacted since coming into office last year.

The resolution cited several of Gascón’s reforms, including eliminating cash bail, ending sentencing enhancements and limiting the prosecution of misdemeanor crimes. Gascón has previously said his reforms are "based on data and science that will enhance safety while reducing racial disparities and the misuse of incarceration,” and said the dated approach to criminal justice created "more crime, victims and inequities."

“The district attorney is very focused on enhancing public safety, increasing equity, expanding victim services and holding police accountable,” Alex Bastian, a special advisor to Gascon, said. “We will continue to work professionally and collaboratively with all of our city and county partners, including our partners in La Verne.”

Councilmembers Muir Davis and Wendy Lau voted against the measure.

More than 20 cities across Los Angeles County have passed similar measures in the past year, including Beverly Hills and Diamond Bar.

Councilmember Robin Carder proposed the resolution. She said during the meeting the city needed to “stand strong for a safe community” and added that Gascón's reforms jeopardized residents’ feelings of safety and quality of life.

“We talked about public safety being the main reason people live that has been jeopardized, and we need to come together for the residents,” she said. “Gascón is not following the law of the state, and he’s easing punishment on the worst offenders and harming victims and their families.”

Mayor Tim Hepburn echoed Carder’s sentiments, saying the reforms have made it so that “criminals have more rights than the ones being criminalized.”

Davis called the resolution political grandstanding that does nothing to move the needle forward on addressing complaints the city officials or residents have against Gascón. He said the resolution would lessen the chance of any meaningful dialogue city leaders would have with the district attorney.

“I believe that Gascón would just acknowledge there’s another community that doesn’t what to listen to [him], that doesn’t want to work with [him]. They just want to stand on whatever it is they’re standing on,” Davis said. “This resolution is meaningless.”

Lau said the resolution doesn’t get the city any closer to addressing issues of public safety, victims' rights and rehabilitating convicted criminals.

“I get that there are many layers to [criminal justice reform]," she said. "There are a lot of resources and work that would have to be done. But, I think that’s part of the problem that we see a lot of times — we Band-Aid things.”