Calls grow for DSA City Attorney candidate Marissa Roy to drop out over ties to 100-day crime freeze

A political brawl erupted at Los Angeles City Hall Tuesday as a slate of candidates demanded DSA-backed City Attorney hopeful Marissa Roy quit the race over her role in crafting a controversial plan to halt misdemeanor prosecutions for 100 days — a proposal critics fear she could revive if elected.

The stakes are enormous: the office for which Roy is running is the city’s top prosecutor for misdemeanors — and responsible for charging crimes like theft, vandalism, trespassing, public intoxication and quality-of-life offenses that directly affect neighborhoods.

The California Post first reported that Roy helped shape a campaign promise in 2022, which would have halted new misdemeanor filings for roughly three months, effectively giving criminals a free pass while low-level offenses pile up in the system.

“I’m here to demand that Marissa Roy resign from her candidacy,” said Raul Claros, a candidate for City Council District 1 — the seat held by DSA Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who has endorsed Roy.

“Any pause in prosecuting drunk drivers, sexual predators or people looking to corrupt this city is flat-out crazy.”

He also called on Hernandez to withdraw her endorsement of Roy. “I’m asking her, on behalf of her constituents, to rescind it.”

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Claros pointed to MacArthur Park as a cautionary tale of what happens when disorder spirals unchecked.

“We don’t want to expand that chaos,” he said. “We want to stop it.”

“The councilwoman keeps putting ideology before the real needs of her community,” added Maria “Lou” Calanche, another CD1 candidate.

Calanche said working-class neighborhoods already bear the brunt of so-called “low-level” crime. “Even small crimes hurt — and they hurt poor communities the most.”

She also urged Hernandez to pull her support, calling the endorsement “out of touch” with district realities.

“The DSA is not in touch,” she said. “This would have a real impact on communities.”

Eddie Ha, a moderate candidate on the Westside of Los Angeles blasted any prosecution moratorium as “the worst thing you can possibly do.”

“Any policy that weakens enforcement puts public safety at risk and sends the wrong message to everyone in our city,” Ha said, adding that public safety “is the most crucial issue in Los Angeles today.”

The backlash spilled beyond City Hall.

LAUSD School Board candidate Raquel Zamora — a 20-year educator and member of United Teachers Los Angeles — urged her union and incumbent board member Rocío Rivas to rescind their endorsements.

“Misdemeanors near school campuses look like people loitering outside preschools,” Zamora said. “When we prosecute those offenses, we’re protecting our children.”

The uproar echoes a political earthquake from 2022, when then-mayoral candidate Karen Bass abruptly withdrew her endorsement of city attorney hopeful Faisal Gill after the 100-day moratorium proposal ignited fierce backlash.

At the time, Bass said she “absolutely disagrees” with the plan, while rival Rick Caruso called her initial support “ridiculous and scary.”

Roy’s endorsement roster includes heavyweight names beyond City Hall, including freshman Rep. Derek Tran of Orange County.

Tran, who serves on the House Armed Services and Small Business committees, has not responded to requests for comment on the calls for Roy to step down or if he plans to rescind his endorsement. 

Internal draft documents reviewed by The Post show Roy participated in shaping discussions around the proposed 100-day pause on certain misdemeanor prosecutions during the 2022 election.

On her current campaign website, Roy talks about a public-safety approach focused on addressing root causes of crime, stating many misdemeanor offenses stem from poverty, mental illness or addiction and are better handled through diversion, treatment and supportive services rather than traditional prosecution. 

As city attorney, she would wield sweeping discretion over which cases move forward — meaning any shift toward expanded diversion or reduced prosecution could significantly reshape enforcement across Los Angeles.

Roy did not return a request for comment from The Post.