LA District Attorney Hochman to Terminate Police Shootings Prosecutor Role

Nathan Hochman plans to end Lawrence Middleton's contract, shifting police shooting cases back to internal prosecutors, raising concerns about police accountability.

• Newly elected Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman will terminate the contract of special prosecutor Lawrence Middleton, who was hired to reopen investigations into fatal police shootings.
• Middleton, brought on by former DA George Gascón, reviewed four controversial cases involving police shootings but faced challenges bringing them to court, with only one case resulting in an indictment.
• Critics, including police accountability advocates, argue the decision undermines efforts to hold law enforcement accountable, while supporters cite concerns over Middleton's high costs and limited results.
• The cases Middleton handled will now be reassigned to the Justice Systems Integrity Division, the same unit that declined to prosecute these incidents under a previous administration.
• Hochman, who received significant campaign support from law enforcement unions, is under scrutiny to demonstrate impartiality in handling police misconduct cases moving forward.

3 Articles

Washington Examiner Breitbart Los Angeles Times