Blind Justice

10/15/2024

As of October 2023, violent crime in the city of Los Angeles had fallen nearly 7% since the previous year, LAPD data showed. Homicides, robberies and r**es were also down over the same period. Make an informed decision about the race for D.A. I am not saying one candidate or the other, but ask Gascon if he plans to bring in new staff around him and ask Hochman if he intends to bring back the death penalty. Good questions for both candidates. Property crime has gone up in Los Angeles but at a rate 20% less than other counties in the State (factors like COVID, economic struggles etc are factors). Crime is up nationwide. No matter if you are a Democrat (like Gascon) or a Republican (like Hochman used to be until he entered the race), you can't blame any DA for the uptick. That is just not how it works.

03/04/2024

The DA race is vital to our County.
Here is a re posting if you have not yet looked at all the candidates.

(Alphabetical by last name).
Debra Archuleta. Archuleta is a Superior Court judge who was elected in 2016. Previously she was a deputy district attorney for 25 years. She has bounced around in many assignments as Judge, been crucified by supervisors and litigants in her courtroom and overturned by the Court of Appeals for failing to read the case file. In re Ryan M, B311047. The mere fact that she threatened to sue the County over her assignment to an infraction court at the
Michael J. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse disqualifies her, immediately. NOT REMOTELY QUALIFIED.

Jeff Chemerinsky. He served as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles from 2014 to 2023. He most recently served as chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section. He has extensive experience in prosecuting hard core crimes. He has an open-minded balance between mass incarceration and emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment and addresses systemic inequalities. But he is young and needs more management experience but would not be a bad choice. QUALIFIED.

George Gascon. The incumbent who seems to be everyone’s favorite target while ignoring the decrease in murder and violent crimes under his tenure. Yes, some of hiring practices are rightfully questioned, but the pendulum was so far to the “lock them up and throw away and key and overcharge every defendant” that his intentions were to swing it back to a sense of humanity, and admittedly it went a little too far. But the increase in crime cannot be blamed on one man. Society, COVID, and economic times are always factors in crime increase. QUALIFIED (and could be WELL QUALIFIED depending on who the potential run-off is).

Jonathan Hatami. He has been a deputy district attorney in L.A. since 2006. He claims to work in the “child abuse unit” (no such department) and quite frankly, did an admirable job with the prosecution in the Gabriel Fernandez matter. But that is all we hear about, like a broken record. He has never met a camera he does not like. He lacks the supervisory experience to be a DA. The fact his wife is in law enforcement should also disqualify him, which may not seem fair, but the incestual relationship between the DA and law enforcement would continue under his watch. NOT QUALIFIED.

Nathan Hochman. He serves as a criminal defense attorney who previously served as U.S. assistant attorney general for the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He is also a former federal prosecutor in L.A. In 2022, he was the Republican nominee for California attorney general. He likes to run for office, any office, until he wins. He changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent which is nothing more than a campaign stunt and his ethics should be questioned for doing so. He is also the chosen candidate of former DA Steve Cooley, who attempts to try and remain relevant in elections. No on Hochman for ethical and moral reasons. NOT QUALIFIED.

Dan Kapelovitz. He is a criminal defense attorney. His firm also represents animal rights activists pro bono when they are charged with crimes related to their working to help animals. He does not have experience as a prosecutor and while he has some good ideas, such as bail reform, this is an uphill race for him. It should be noted that being a criminal defense attorney gives him insight into the other side of the criminal justice system, something some DA’s often ignore or forget. NOT ENOUGH DATA FOR RATING.
Lloyd Masson. Masson is an experienced prosecutor in the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. He is a former deputy city attorney in Los Angeles. There is not enough information about “Bobcat” to make a detailed assessment other than he is not familiar with the workings of the Los Angeles DA’s office. NOT QUALIFIED FOR LOCAL OFFICE.

John McKinney. He has been a deputy district attorney in L.A. since 1998, serving for five years in the Hardcore Gang Division and for more than a decade in the Major Crimes Division. He will be very tough on crime, perhaps too tough. He is very charismatic and an incredibly skilled trial attorney but lacks extensive managerial experience. QUALIFIED, BUT NOT READY.

David Milton. Milton is a retired Superior Court judge. Previously, he was a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles and a chief assistant prosecutor in Indianapolis. His comments about right wing conspiracies are surprising and shocking. NOT QUALIFIED.

Craig Mitchell. Mitchell has been a Superior Court judge for 18 years handling felony cases. He was a deputy district attorney for 11 years and a high school teacher for 17 years. Mitchell founded the Skid Row Running Club. He has said some things during the campaign that have forced some to question his impartiality as a Judge. He will be superb on mental health issues and understands the balance when evaluating minor crimes. He is a class act and good human being; he just lacks managerial experience. Some of his comments on the campaign trial may necessitate him going to a civil assignment when he returns to the bench. QUALIFIED.

Maria Ramirez. She has been a deputy district attorney since 1990. She currently oversees the Target Crime Division, which includes the Child Abduction, Arson and Explosives, Stalking and Animal Cruelty sections. She served in the Hardcore Gang and Major Narcotics Divisions and ran the Bureau of Specialized Operations. Experience wise, Ramirez is in a class of her own. She would do a tremendous job if elected but fund-raising challenges have hindered her campaign. Unfortunately, money should never be the determining factor in an election of this magnitude. MOST QUALIFIED OF ALL CANDIDATES.

Eric Siddall. Siddall is a violent-crimes prosecutor with the District Attorney’s Office. He has been with the office for 16 years. He is a hardworking and an honorable individual and may be the DA of Los Angeles County one day, just not today. He errored in having the union, where he served, vote for his endorsement by a few Board members, without reaching out to each and every member of the office, which ultimately endorsed someone else. QUALIFIED AND ONE DAY WILL BE VERY WELL QUALIFIED.

It should be noted that some ballot designations in this race have been shameful. The Elections Code was poorly modified a few years ago and now only applies to Judges (bolstering government employees and limiting those working in the private sector). Some candidates have made use of the open range ballot designations which calls into question one’s character. Here are the candidates listed ballot designations with corrections had they been forced to follow the Election Code.

MARIA RAMIREZ
Head Deputy D.A. [Head Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles]

DAN KAPELOVITZ
Criminal Defense Attorney
Attorney

LLOYD "BOBCAT" MASSON
Cold Case Prosecutor
Deputy District Attorney, County of San Bernardino

JOHN MCKINNEY
Supervising District Attorney
Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles

CRAIG J. MITCHELL
Judge of the Superior Court, [County of Los Angeles]

DAVID S. MILTON
Retired Judge [of the Los Angeles Superior Court]

GEORGE GASCÓN
District Attorney, [County of Los Angeles]

JONATHAN HATAMI
Child Abuse Prosecutor
Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles

NATHAN HOCHMAN
Criminal Law Attorney
Attorney at Law

DEBRA ARCHULETA
Judge of the Superior Court, County of Los Angeles

JEFF CHEMERINSKY
Assistant United States Attorney

ERIC SIDDALL
Violent Crimes Prosecutor
Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles

02/23/2024

Many have asked for it. So here is our D.A. candidate ratings in a very important race.
Multiple news outlets and newspapers have made their own recommendations for District Attorney, and while watching the debates, many facts, character issues, and important election data seems to have been overlooked. So let us all objectively look at each candidate. (Alphabetical by last name).
Debra Archuleta. Archuleta is a Superior Court judge who was elected in 2016. Previously she was a deputy district attorney for 25 years. She has bounced around in many assignments as Judge, been crucified by supervisors and litigants in her courtroom and overturned by the Court of Appeals for failing to read the case file. In re Ryan M, B311047. The mere fact that she threatened to sue the County over her assignment to an infraction court at the Michael J. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse disqualifies her, immediately. NOT REMOTELY QUALIFIED.
Jeff Chemerinsky. He served as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles from 2014 to 2023. He most recently served as chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section. He has extensive experience in prosecuting hard core crimes. He has an open-minded balance between mass incarceration and emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment and addresses systemic inequalities. But he is young and needs more management experience but would not be a bad choice. QUALIFIED.
George Gascon. The incumbent who seems to be everyone’s favorite target while ignoring the decrease in murder and violent crimes under his tenure. Yes, some of hiring practices are rightfully questioned, but the pendulum was so far to the “lock them up and throw away the key and overcharge every defendant” that his intentions were to swing it back to a sense of humanity, and admittedly it went a little too far. But the increase in crime cannot be blamed on one man. Society, COVID, and economic times are always factors in crime increase. QUALIFIED (and could be WELL QUALIFIED depending on a potential run-off).
Jonathan Hatami. He has been a deputy district attorney in L.A. since 2006. He claims to work in the “child abuse unit” (no such department) and quite frankly, did an admirable job with the prosecution in the Gabriel Fernandez matter. But that is all we hear about, like a broken record. He has never met a camera he does not like. He lacks the supervisory experience to be a DA. The fact his wife is in law enforcement should also disqualify him, which may not seem fair, but the potential incestual relationship between the DA and law enforcement could continue under his watch. NOT QUALIFIED.
Nathan Hochman. He serves as a criminal defense attorney who previously served as U.S. assistant attorney general for the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. He is also a former federal prosecutor in L.A. In 2022, he was the Republican nominee for California attorney general. He likes to run for office, any office, until he wins. He changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent which is nothing more than a campaign stunt and his ethics should be questioned for doing so. He is also the chosen candidate of former DA Steve Cooley, who attempts to remain relevant. No on Hochman for ethical and moral reasons. NOT QUALIFIED.
Dan Kapelovitz. He is a criminal defense attorney. His firm also represents animal rights activists pro bono when they are charged with crimes related to their working to help animals. He does not have experience as a prosecutor and while he has some good ideas, such as bail reform, this is an uphill race for him. It should be noted that being a criminal defense attorney gives him insight into the other side of the criminal justice system, something some DA’s often ignore or forget. NOT ENOUGH DATA FOR RATING.
Lloyd Masson. Masson is an experienced prosecutor in the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. He is a former deputy city attorney in Los Angeles. There is not enough information about “Bobcat” to make a detailed assessment other than he is not familiar with the workings of the Los Angeles DA’s office. NOT QUALIFIED FOR LOCAL OFFICE.
John McKinney. He has been a deputy district attorney in L.A. since 1998, serving for five years in the Hardcore Gang Division and for more than a decade in the Major Crimes Division. He will be very tough on crime, perhaps too tough. He is very charismatic and an incredibly skilled trial attorney but lacks extensive managerial experience. QUALIFIED, BUT NOT READY.
David Milton. Milton is a retired Superior Court judge. Previously, he was a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles and a chief assistant prosecutor in Indianapolis. His comments about right wing conspiracies are surprising and shocking. NOT QUALIFIED.
Craig Mitchell. Mitchell has been a Superior Court judge for 18 years handling felony cases. He was a deputy district attorney for 11 years and a high school teacher for 17 years. Mitchell founded the Skid Row Running Club. He has said some things during the campaign that have forced some to question his impartiality as a Judge. He will be superb on mental health issues and understands the balance when evaluating minor crimes. He is a class act and good human being; he just lacks managerial experience. WELL QUALIFIED.
Maria Ramirez. She has been a deputy district attorney since 1990. She currently oversees the Target Crime Division, which includes the Child Abduction, Arson and Explosives, Stalking and Animal Cruelty sections. She served in the Hardcore Gang and Major Narcotics Divisions and ran the Bureau of Specialized Operations. Experience wise, Ramirez is in a class of her own. She would do a tremendous job if elected but fund-raising challenges have hindered her campaign. Unfortunately, money should never be the determining factor in an election of this magnitude. MOST QUALIFIED OF ALL CANDIDATES.
Eric Siddall. Siddall is a violent-crimes prosecutor with the District Attorney’s Office. He has been with the office for 16 years. He is a hardworking and an honorable individual and may be the DA of Los Angeles County one day, just not today. He errored in having the union, where he served, vote for his endorsement by a few Board members, without reaching out to each and every member of the office, which ultimately endorsed someone else. QUALIFIED AND ONE DAY WILL BE VERY WELL QUALIFIED.

It should be noted that some ballot designations in this race have been shameful. The Elections Code was poorly modified a few years ago and only applies to Judges (bolstering government employees and limiting those working in the private sector). Some candidates have made use of the open range ballot designations which calls into question one’s character. Here are the candidates listed ballot designations with corrections had they been forced to follow the Election Code.
MARIA RAMIREZ
Head Deputy D.A. [Head Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles]

DAN KAPELOVITZ
Criminal Defense Attorney
Attorney
LLOYD "BOBCAT" MASSON
Cold Case Prosecutor
Deputy District Attorney, County of San Bernardino

JOHN MCKINNEY
Supervising District Attorney
Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles

CRAIG J. MITCHELL
Judge of the Superior Court, [County of Los Angeles]

DAVID S. MILTON
Retired Judge [of the Los Angeles Superior Court]

GEORGE GASCÓN
District Attorney, [County of Los Angeles]

JONATHAN HATAMI
Child Abuse Prosecutor
[Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles]

NATHAN HOCHMAN
Criminal Law Attorney
[Attorney at Law]

DEBRA ARCHULETA
Judge of the Superior Court, County of Los Angeles

JEFF CHEMERINSKY
Assistant United States Attorney

ERIC SIDDALL
Violent Crimes Prosecutor
[Deputy District Attorney, County of Los Angeles]

02/20/2024

DA Election.
Maria Ramirez. She has been a deputy district attorney since 1990. She currently oversees the Target Crime Division, which includes the Child Abduction, Arson and Explosives, Stalking and Animal Cruelty sections. She served in the Hardcore Gang and Major Narcotics Divisions and ran the Bureau of Specialized Operations. Experience wise, Ramirez is in a class of her own. She would do a tremendous job if elected but fund-raising challenges have hindered her campaign. Unfortunately, money should never be the determining factor in an election of this magnitude. MOST QUALIFIED OF ALL CANDIDATES.

10/20/2022

STATEMENT FROM CANDIDATE HAMMOND- SEAT 118

My name is Melissa Hammond and I am running for LA Superior Court Judge Office 118. I will bring balance to the bench on day one, due to my experience trying cases and conducting hearings as both a deputy public defender and as a deputy district attorney. I have also practiced civil litigation and conducted administrative hearings.

I am rated “well qualified” by the LA County Bar Association, endorsed by the Los Angeles Times, the Southern California News Group, and over 70 Superior Court Judges, including Presiding Judge Eric Taylor.

I have lived in Los Angeles my entire life, graduated from UCLA School of Law, and have practiced law in LA Superior Court for almost 20 years, most of which have been in public service.

My unique perspective in having practiced as both a deputy public defender and deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County will benefit our community. I am the only one with this unique experience who is running for Judge.

10/07/2022

http://www.metnews.com/articles/2022/TAPIA_100722.htm

Sergio C. Tapia II has been elected by judges of the Los Angeles Superior Court as the 2023/2024 assistant presiding judge which means, if tradition is followed, that he will be elected in two years, without opposition, as the court’s presiding judge for 2025 and 2026.

08/17/2022

Los Angeles Superior Court Seat 151- Hare v Brako

https://www.patrickhareforjudge.com/

As a Los Angeles County Public Defender for more than thirty years, Patrick has worked extensively on bail reform, alternatives to incarceration, housing, and treatment for those with mental illness and substance abuse issues.

An experienced litigator as well, Patrick has tried over one hundred jury trials. He’s ready to deal with the high volume of our courtrooms – FAIRLY and ON DAY ONE

https://brakoforjudge.com/

Karen A. Brako has been an attorney for over 30 years and she is committed to equitable justice and fairness to all. Karen has dedicated her career to serving others and has integrity, compassion, and empathy, all traits that make her exceptionally well qualified to sit as a Superior Court judge. She is current a Deputy District attorney.

08/17/2022

Los Angeles Superior Court- Seat No. 118- Hammond v Park

https://www.melissahammondforjudge.com/

Melissa Hammond a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles, former Deputy Public Defender and Civil Litigator. She has worked in the Los Angeles Superior Court for almost 20 years and continue to work in LA Superior Court.

https://www.parkforjudge2022.com/

Carolyn “Jiyoung” Park is a daughter of Korean immigrants and was born and raised in Los Angeles. She obtained a B.A. at Tulane University in New Orleans, and a J.D. at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. During law school, she externed at the Disability Mediation Center at Loyola Law School to assist people with disabilities in resolving conflicts through mediation. She also externed for Federal Magistrate Judge Stephen J. Hillman before passing the California Bar Exam in 2003.

Jiyoung (JEE-yung) worked for over six years at a public sector union as a staff attorney litigating cases on behalf of the union and union members before the State Personnel Board, Public Employee Relations Board, Office of Administrative Hearings, and in civil court. She represented union members in arbitrations and in collective bargaining. She was a full dues-paying member of United Auto Workers Local 2350.

08/17/2022

Los Angeles Seat 90- Lyons and Gutierrez

https://melissalyons4judge.com/

Since 2006, Melissa Lyons has been a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. She has completed more than 85 trials. For the last five years, Melissa was assigned to the District Attorney’s S*x Crimes Division, including a two year tenure at Stuart House, where she exclusively prosecuted s*xual crimes against children. She was recently promoted to Deputy in Charge of the Compton Juvenile Division.

https://www.lesliegutierrezforjudge2022.com/

Leslie Gutierrez joined the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office in 2012. Since 2016, she has been assigned to a specialized unit primarily focused on prosecuting individuals who prey on our most vulnerable — our children. Her caseload is mainly comprised of child murder, child s*xual abuse, and child physical abuse. These are some of the most complex, sensitive, and serious cases handled by the office.

08/17/2022

Los Angeles Judicial Race Seat 70: Hancock and Chang

A graduate of Southwestern Law School, Holly has over 15 years of legal criminal law experience. She has tried to jury 65 trials. She has an 80% success rate in achieving acquittals or reductions. And she has always sought a solution that is fair and just. She looks at the long-term effects on all the people involved in the court system. She will be ready on DAY ONE to run a busy courtroom and to get at the root causes of the the issues.
For more than 15 years, Holly has served in the Public Defender's Office, wining the support and respect of colleagues, judges and community leaders.
https://hancock4judge.com/

After briefly working in a private law firm and internships at the DA’s office and Justice Department, Renee knew that she wanted to devote her career to public service, helping to make the community a better and safer place. Following her graduation from law school, she joined the District Attorney’s Office where she has dedicated her career to seeking justice in every case she handles or supervises.
https://www.reneechangforjudge.com/

08/17/2022

Los Angeles Judicial Race Seat 67: Barreto and Haynes

A career prosecutor, Fernanda Maria Barreto is currently a Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County assigned to the Pasadena Branch in the Victim Impact Program (VIP). The VIP assignment remains one of the most challenging in the DA’s Office because deputies must have extensive knowledge of s*x crimes, family violence, child abuse, elder abuse, stalking, hate crimes, and human trafficking. Fernanda has worked tirelessly for over 15 years to protect particularly vulnerable populations by handling complex felony cases including murder, r**e, and domestic violence.
https://www.fernandabarreto4judge.com/

Los Angeles County Deputy Public Defender. She has served nineteen years as a Deputy Public Defender, has allowing her to understand the legal system firsthand. This has made her deeply passionate about serving the public and working closely with individuals and their loved ones.
https://www.lashley-haynesforjudge2022.com/
Interviews coming soon!

07/21/2022

Not endorsing any candidate but here is a review of the LA City Attorney's race

http://www.metnews.com/articles/2022/EdSoto_07202022.htm