Overview

• Nathan Hochman, Los Angeles District Attorney, officially lifted the ban on seeking the death penalty on March 25, 2025, fulfilling a key campaign promise.
• The new policy permits prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in 'exceedingly rare cases' involving the most heinous crimes, such as multiple murders or the killing of law enforcement officers.
• Defense attorneys will have expanded opportunities to present mitigating evidence to a Special Circumstances Committee before the death penalty is sought.
• Critics, including public defenders and civil rights advocates, argue the policy is racially biased, ineffective as a deterrent, and a step backward for justice in Los Angeles County.
• California's 2019 statewide moratorium on executions, imposed by Governor Gavin Newsom, remains in effect, preventing any immediate implementation of death sentences.