Community leaders share their concerns and express their support in his efforts to create a better, stronger and more inclusive Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has been on the job for roughly 65 days. In that short time, he has been involved with cracking down on sex trafficking, prosecuting people looting during the recent wildfires, and reviewing several cases where although convicted, the circumstances seem a little less than clear cut. Another priority has been to revamp, reorganize and re-energize an organization, which as he puts it, “needs to refocus its priorities.”
On Feb. 3 at a breakfast hosted by Los Angeles Sentinel Executive Publisher Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., several community leaders from business, community-based, and religious organizations came together to meet with District Attorney Hochman and some of his key staff in order to discuss his priorities and how he envisions working with those leaders in the Black Community.
“We are here today to have an open and honest dialogue with the District Attorney. Today we come with no preset agenda, but with an open ear towards listening and building a fruitful relationship with the DA and his office,” said Bakewell during his opening remarks.
“In the future we may need to have some difficult and uncomfortable conversations, but that is why today’s meeting is so important to ensure that when those uncomfortable issues arise, we have already laid the foundation on both sides so that we may address concerns in an honest and hopefully productive way.”
Participants at the meeting included Charisse Bremond-Weaver, president of the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade; Cynthia Mitchell-Heard, president of the Los Angeles Urban League; Robert Sausedo, president of Community Build; Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor; Kevin Murray, president of Weingart Center; Jackie Dupont-Walker, president of Ward Economic Development Corporation and a member of the Los Angeles Metro Board of Directors; and Angela Gibson, president of Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAAC).
Also in attendance were Khalid Shaw, president of Stop the Violence Increase the Peace; Minister Tony Muhammad, Pastor Robert Shaw of First AME Los Angeles, and representatives from the office of County Supervisor Holly Mitchell and L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson.
Hochman was joined at the meeting with Deputy District Attorney Gilbert Wright and former District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who spoke of her long-standing relationship with Nathan Hochman.
In addition, she shared why she felt that Hochman was the right man for the job by explaining, “He is a man willing to listen to the concerns of the community and take action not because it is the popular thing to do, but the right thing to do.”
Hochman discussed a wide range of actions he was implementing at the DA’s office and discussed how he had plans to keep the conviction review unit that Jackie Lacey originally put in place to ensure that the convictions garnered by the D.A.’s office were in step with the law and that no one should be incarcerated if new evidence or circumstances need to be considered moving forward.
“Overall, I think this was a good and positive dialogue and i think we all appreciated District Attorney Hochman’s desire and willingness to meet with leaders of the Black Community. This is only our first meeting, but I am confident that we have started a dialogue that will serve our community and the constituents we serve in a more positive light,” noted Urban League President Mitchell-Heard.
One of the top concerns for many in the group was the office of the District Attorney’s willingness to prosecute those along the Figueroa Corridor involved with and supporting sex trafficking of minors and prostitution.
Hochman vowed “to continue to go after these criminals who exploit the youngest and most vulnerable in our community.” He discussed numerous joint efforts and upcoming efforts to crack down on these criminals. He said that the DA’s goal is not to just eliminate the criminality on Figueroa, but to push these actions completely out of our community.
“The criminals and sex traffickers from street pimps to drug cartels need to know that there is no place in Los Angeles County where these actions will be tolerated and those in attendance vowed to support the DA in his efforts to eradicate these crimes and criminals,” declared Hochman.
This was only a first meeting, but as everyone in attendance echoed, it was an encouraging meeting and only the first of an ongoing dialogue between the District Attorney Hochman and members of the African American community.