A group gathered at Far Bar in Little Tokyo on May 27 to support recalling L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón. Standing, from left: Peter Kwong, Chinatown business owner; John Peters, chief of a Northern California police department; Jason Lustig, deputy district attorney; Kathleen Cady, retired deputy district attorney; Delfina, campaign supporter from Aid & Abet Bail Bonds; and John McKinney, deputy district attorney. Seated, from left: Robert Chong, volunteer and campaign supporter; Sharon Ngan, campaign community liaison; Clifford Jung, volunteer and campaign supporter; and David Ikegami, Little Tokyo businessman.
Recall supporters say that crime has risen in the county since Gascón took office and that his policies are more favorable to defendants than to crime victims. The Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys (LAADDA) took a vote on whether to support the recall. A total of 83.3% of the prosecutors voted, and 97.9% of them supported the recall. To get the recall on the ballot, supporters must collect 566,857 signatures by July 6.
At a press conference in December 2021, Gascón, who previously served as D.A. in San Francisco, defended his policies and said he was not responsible for the rise in homicides and robberies in the county. “We are trying to dramatically change a system that has served no one, not the victims of crime, not those who are accused and not the public,” Gascón said.
Photo by MARIO GERSHOM REYES/Rafu Shimpo