Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has demoted numerous veteran prosecutors who supported his recall effort this year, Fox News reported.
Among them is Deputy District Attorney John McKinney, who was one of the first to speak out on social media, urging residents to recall his boss, who is accused of being lenient on criminals at the expense of victims. McKinney said the move will affect his ability to seek justice.
“He does not want deputy district attorneys like me and my colleagues who he punished this week to speak out, to speak to people like you, to communicate with the people of Los Angeles County and the nation,” McKinney said.
He said Gascon was embarrassed when prosecutors highlighted his “unlawful practices.”
McKinney and two other demoted prosecutors work in the elite Major Crimes Unit, which handles difficult cases such as serial killings, homicides with missing bodies, and famous suspects. The group has decades of experience handling such cases.
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“He took three of the most veteran prosecutors, the so-called untouchables, and he didn’t just punish us, but he tried to humiliate us,” he said.
Now, the prosecutors will be filing low-level cases in outlying courthouses away from downtown Los Angeles.
One of the cases McKinney will be handing over is the stabbing death of UCLA graduate student Brianna Kupfer. He worked on the case since its inception in January, and a suspect has been arrested.
Gascon came under fire from his own deputies shortly after he took office in 2020 and announced that numerous crime categories would not be prosecuted. This included most misdemeanors, juvenile cases with severe prison sentences, gang involvement, and the use of a gun in a crime. Deputies balked and began publicly speaking out against their new boss.
The prosecutors’ union filed a lawsuit when Gascon attempted to circumvent the state’s three-strikes law, which sends felons to prison for life for a third violent felony, or strike. Gascon had ordered attorneys to ignore the law when filing cases and not charge a strike, which is necessary to launch the severe sentencing ramifications.
A California appellate court ruled unanimously on June 2 that Gascon had violated state law by issuing his order.
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Last month, Los Angeles County officials said a grassroots coalition failed to deliver enough valid signatures to place the recall on the ballot. Recall organizers believe they have enough signatures and have vowed to fight the decision, which could involve inspecting all the contested signatures.
In the months leading up to the recall petition deadline, numerous prosecutors had stepped up to chastise Gascon and his policies.
“I don’t think George Gascon realizes how traumatizing that is for a victim going through what they’re going through — and not only had to do it on that case but other cases I’m handling,” McKinney said. “It’s terrible for victims.”
