Thread for developments from George Gascon inauguration as L.A. County D.A. here. News imminent...

First big announcement was already forecast -- Prosecutors will be barred from seeking to try juveniles as adults from this day on in L.A. County.

Victim/Witness Services will now be available to families of those killed in fatal police force cases. Requirement for people to testify in cases to receive victim assistance also now quashed, Gascon says.

Gascon announces creation of use-of-force review board to consider re-opening of fatal force cases that Jackie Lacey declined to prosecute. They will review cases going back to 2012. Gascon has already promised to re-open four shootings from LAPD, Long Beach, Gardena & Torrance

Here's the big'un -- Cash bail is effectively dead in L.A. County “My office will no longer request cash bail for any misdemeanor, non serious, non violent felony offenses."

Sentencing enhancments? Poof. Gone. Not just gang enhancements as we've previously reported but gun crime enhancements, three strikes allegations, etc.

Under Gascon, the office will seek to re-evaluate and possibly resentence defendants convicted under enhancements or three strike allegations. Estimates this could impact thousands of cases.

Prioritizing cases for review where people have already served “excessive sentences,” been convicted of non-violent crimes, deemed low risk to re-offend, older prisoners at risk for COVID-19, and people sentenced to adult prison as juveniles.

Oooooh boy. The displeased texts and DMs from the law enforcement community are already on their way.

Also sorry let a big one sweep by -- Nonspecific, but the office will seek diversion as opposed to charging for a broad array of non-violent, first time offenses associated with poverty. Basically seeking way broader diversion for mentally ill/homeless.

In SF, Gascon diverted about 10% of all misdemeanor filings from SFPD to non criminal pre-trial programs. Jackie Lacey championed a lot of similar programs, but as I've reported, took flak that they didn't reach nearly enough defendants: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-27/a-longtime-champion-for-the-mentally-ill