Los Angeles’ rampant crime issues trace back to a tiny fraction of criminals, but jam-packed jails and soft laws are leading many of these swindlers, crooks, and thugs to cycle right back onto the streets, District Attorney Nathan Hochman told The California Post in an exclusive interview.
“Roughly 10% of people are committing over 50% of the crime,” Hochman said. “These are chronic, repeat offenders.”
Los Angeles County jails not only have revolving doors, but the walls appear to be bursting at the seams. While the most serious offenders aren’t being released, Hochman said, Sheriff Robert Luna is being forced to make difficult choices, as jail populations should be capped at 12,500 to 13,000 inmates every day.
Hochman added, “One of the biggest pipelines into the criminal justice system is people who’ve already been to jail or prison and are now back.”
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation issued a report last year crediting the passage of Proposition 57 with a drop in recidivism. The statewide ballot measure, which passed in 2016, prioritized rehabilitation by lessening punishments for non-violent crimes and young adults.
But not all of law enforcement agrees with Prop. 57’s efficacy. Hochman said that loopholes in the law have effectively emboldened people to commit crimes, while some crimes are categorized in a way that boggles the mind.
“Human trafficking in California for victims over 18 is considered a non-serious, non-violent offense — which is shocking when you hear it,” Hochman said, adding that the law “absolutely” enables more human trafficking to occur.
“If it’s a non-serious, non-violent offense, instead of serving 80% of your sentence, you serve about 50%,” Hockman said. “There are some brave state legislators who’ve tried to change this — and they’ve been outvoted. Sometimes it doesn’t even get to a vote.”
Killings in Los Angeles reportedly dropped almost 19% last year to 230, a massive drop that was mirrored in other California cities. Researchers have failed to come up with clear answers to explain the trend.
“I don’t trust a dip down. I don’t trust a dip up,” Hochman said. “They will always be a problem if we don’t get [serial offenders] the skills they need.”
Hochman’s comments come as he faces backlash over his decision to dismiss charges against six police officers in the death of Edward Bronstein — a case likened to George Floyd’s 2020 killing in Minneapolis, as both men used their final moments to utter the words, “I can’t breathe.”
The district attorney said the case — which preceded his taking office — was legally untenable, and he fired back at his critics.
“The idea that we tried to hide this in an unpublicized hearing is absolutely ridiculous,” Hochman said.
He added that prosecutors were not confident they could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the six officers — who were charged as a collective instead of individually — acted recklessly in killing Bronstein.
However, he noted that the sergeant involved in the incident took a plea deal, and he is confident the nurse at the scene will be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, because she should have informed officers to stop as Braunstein was losing consciousness.
Hochman declined to comment on singer D4vid, who is accused of killing a 14-year-old girl, and the murder charges against the son of actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle, as both cases are still being actively investigated.