Polls show nearly two-thirds of voters remain undecided in the Los Angeles County District Attorney race. The dozen or so prosecutors, judges and lawyers seeking to unseat Georges Gascón are historically large, and challengers have struggled to differentiate themselves from one another. Even campaign ads sound the same.

If you're still staring at your ballot in confusion, here's a quick guide to the candidates who took the strongest and clearest positions on the contest's most hotly debated issues.

Sentence enhancement

Mr. Gascón has come under fire for many of his reform-minded policies, chief among them severe restrictions on sentencing enhancement motions.

The enhancements could add years to a defendant's sentence in a variety of scenarios, including crimes related to gang activity or crimes in which a gun was used. Critics say it is used unfairly against people of color.

Although Gascón has somewhat relaxed his position on enforcement measures (for example, enforcement measures are still often brought up in cases where police officers are injured or killed in the line of duty), he is effectively a challenger. All sectors have expressed their intention to seek further strengthening. Years subject to imprisonment, whenever applicable.

Former federal prosecutor Jeff Chemerinski and defense attorney Dan Kapelowitz are the only candidates who have expressed reluctance to completely override Gascón's efforts to strengthen his position. Mr Chemerinsky said its use in gang cases needed to be closely scrutinized and warned that he had been “abused” in the past.

Mr. Kapelowitz, the only candidate running to Mr. Gascon's left, rejects all policies he says contribute to mass incarceration, including hardening.

death penalty

Gascón barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty when he took office, a somewhat symbolic move since Gov. Gavin Newsom had already suspended the death penalty in California in 2019.

Among the potential challengers to Gascón are former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman and deputy district manager. Atty. Jonathan Khatami pledged to seek the death penalty in extreme cases, citing mass shootings and the killing of police officers as examples.

Los Angeles District Attorney Candidate Forum held at Pacific Palms Resort. From left to right: Debra Archuleta, Jeff Chemerinsky, Jonathan Hatami, Nathan Hockman, John McKinney, David S. Milton, Craig Mitchell, Maria Ramirez, and Eric Siddal.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Chemerinsky said he does not support the death penalty. Deputy Ward Atty. Eric Siddal also opposes the death penalty, saying it is unrealistic given Newsom's executive order.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David S. Milton is the only candidate who appears committed to using the death penalty, often citing his experience winning death penalty cases as a prosecutor as a reason to vote for him. .

juvenile justice

President Gascón took office with a complete ban on trying juveniles as adults. He reversed the ruling in 2022 following national criticism of the Hannah Tubbs case. In the Hannah Tubbs case, a 26-year-old boy was allowed to plead guilty to sexually assaulting a child in juvenile court. Gascón later changed course and created a committee to approve 14 cases for consideration in adult court, a district attorney's office spokeswoman said.

Nathan Hockman attends the Los Angeles District Attorney Candidates Forum at the Pacific Palms Resort.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Khatami and Chemerinsky have said they primarily intend to treat juveniles that way, but neither is involved in specific cases seeking to try teens as adults. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Craig Mitchell said in an interview with the Times last year that he would likely seek to try only teens accused of murder or child rape as adults.

Experience point

The winner of the general election will take the reins of a government in turmoil, and some are calling for a solid replacement for Gascón.

Although many of the candidates boast decades of legal experience, Deputy Ward Mayor Atty. Maria Ramirez has spent most of her time in her managerial role within the office she intends to run. In her 30 years of service (12 of them in management positions), she served as the department's director of specialized prosecutions until she clashed with Mr. Gascón early in her tenure. She then sued the office, claiming it had removed her from her job because she objected to Gascón's policies.

Maria Ramirez attends the Los Angeles District Attorney Candidate Forum held at the Pacific Palms Resort.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

During his 34-year professional career, Hockman has served as a federal prosecutor, defense attorney, candidate for statewide political office, and chair of the LA Ethics Commission, making him one of the most diverse in the field. .

cash bail

Los Angeles County Superior Court last year overhauled the way cash bail is used, sparking lawsuits from more than a dozen cities that a judge largely rejected in December. Khatami has been the most vocal supporter of Gascón's challengers, arguing in a debate last year that the new bail schedule was leading to an increase in repeat offenders. But only 3% of the roughly 5,000 people processed under the new schedule were rearrested in the first three weeks after it took effect, according to data provided by the court system.

Although the Gascón government has enacted policies that limit when prosecutors can seek bail, only the court system can control the types of cases in which defendants are charged and released.

Jeff Chemerinski attends the Los Angeles District Attorney Candidate Forum at the Pacific Palms Resort.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Chemerinsky has said he supports “bail reform,” but hasn't given much specifics. Mr. Siddal, Mr. Ramirez and Mr. Mitchell all called the bail “incomplete.”

Deputy Ward Atty. John McKinney provided the most thorough position on how bail could be changed. He supports risk assessment tools that determine a defendant's likelihood of reoffending by analyzing a defendant's criminal history, history of failure to appear in court, and other similar factors.

misdemeanor

The district attorney's office prosecuted just 47% of misdemeanor cases filed last year, down from 72% in 2020. Atty. This is the final year of Jackie Lacey's term. Gascón's resignation is intentional, as he wants to focus less on what he sees as low-level violations.

Gascon County's impact on overall misdemeanor crime in the county is debatable. He has no influence over misdemeanor prosecutions in large population centers like Los Angeles or Long Beach. The city has its own city attorney who handles these cases. However, his stance on low-level crimes such as drug possession and trespassing created a perception that Gascón was soft on crime.

Craig Mitchell attends the Los Angeles District Attorney Candidate Forum held at the Pacific Palms Resort.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Mitchell, citing his time working with the homeless and mentally ill through the Skid Row Running Club, said he is best suited to improve the department's stance on petty crime. The judge said if elected, he intends to charge the defendant with simple possession of drugs for use in a treatment program.

Hochman and Khatami also support the use of drug courts for defendants struggling with addiction, and Chemerinsky supports diversion programs for similarly situated defendants.