Why Jackie Lacey MUST Go!
Grechario Mack, Alberto Ramon Dorsey, Wakiesha Wilson, Brendon Glenn, and Kenneth Ross Jr. ... and the list goes on.
They are just five of the more than 400 human beings who we have lost at the hands of law enforcement in L.A. County since 2012 when District Attorney Jackie Lacey first took office. She wields a tremendous amount of prosecutorial power as the head of the nation’s largest D.A. office, overseeing 1,000 attorneys, 300 investigators, and 800 staff members. The District Attorney is responsible for reviewing investigations conducted by law enforcement agencies and deciding whether there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges—that should include charges against police officers when they are the criminals. Watching the watchmen doesn’t happen under her watch. During her eight years of claiming to care about communities of color, she has only prosecuted one officer in a county that leads the nation in law enforcement shooting deaths.
We cannot lose our sense of loss for those 400 lives. We cannot forget the names or the dreams and aspirations of 575 people who were slain as a result of coming into contact with law enforcement. We cannot forget the impact of that loss on their family members and friends who will never be the same again.
Prosecuting just one officer in 400 separate killings at the hands of law enforcement officers is abandoning our communities. It’s why she must go on March 3rd.
Time and again, Jackie Lacey been on the wrong side of justice reform. She opposed Prop 47 to reduce the jail population, under which many were locked up as part of the infamous War on Drugs. She opposed ending cash bail, which is a tool and tactic to keep poor people behind bars while awaiting their day in court. She opposed Prop 57, which allows young people to be seen in juvenile court rather than being tried as an adult. But she supports the death penalty which she has sought in 22 cases against people of color.
In communities of color throughout Los Angeles, residents live in deep fear of police misconduct which negates their basic human right to feel protected and safe in their neighborhoods. Yet, Jackie Lacey refuses to stop prosecuting cases against people who were falsely identified as gang members by 20 officers recently identified in the LAPD Metro Division scandal. Why would any district attorney continue to pursue charges with false information?
If you follow the money, you may find the answer. You certainly will find the Los Angeles Police Protective League, a union that defends rank and file officers which has launched a major million-plus dollar PAC to make sure Lacey is reelected.
In her eight years in office, she’s maintained the white supremacist status quo of mass incarceration policies and police misconduct in our communities.
That is why she must go on November 3rd!
As we go to the polls on November 3rd to vote for Los Angeles’ next District Attorney, we must remember those 400 people who will never cast a ballot again. We must remember how many justice reform issues need to be addressed. We have to chart a new path if we want to fix what is broken in the nation’s largest D.A. office. The first stop on that path is the voting booth. Let’s get Jackie Lacey out of office!
