Suddenly, striking of a strike prior is an issue?

George Gascón was overwhelmingly elected district attorney for the County of Los Angeles. He was abundantly transparent in the representations he made regarding the policies he would put in place if elected. ("Gascón doesn't understand the law or the job of a DDA," Jan. 20).

Like President Joe Biden, Gascón has been empowered to do what the electorate voted him into office to do. Like Biden, Gascón has been entrusted to serve the members of the community in a manner consistent with the policies he ran on to get elected. On day one, Biden reversed the policies of the prior administration, consistent with the platform he ran on to get elected. On day one, Gascón attempted to implement the policies on which he ran and reverse the policies of the prior administration that were inconsistent with the voters imperative.

District attorneys across the state and in Los Angeles have stricken strike priors for as long as the law has been in effect and never question their ability to do so. Indeed, under former Los Angeles DA administrations third strike prosecutions were not pursued when the current offense was not a serious or violent felony. Oddly, this is the first time a DA's striking of a strike prior has become a legal issue in the minds of their DDAs.

-- Jennifer Friedman

President

California Public Defenders Association