LA DA George Gascón Changes Course, Will Seek Sentencing Enhancements In Certain Cases

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón Friday announced that his office was changing course and would seek sentencing enhancements in hate crimes, crimes against children and the elderly and other crimes that meet certain criteria.

"Nearly all of the concerns I have heard center around my policy of ending all enhancements," Gascón said in an email. "To be responsive to your input, I have decided to make some adjustments to my initial directives."

According to the office, the new policy was announced following "extensive discussions" with crime victims, advocates, members of the community and other career prosecutors in the county.

"The amended policy addresses concerns raised by vulnerable victims – children, the elderly and groups that are targeted because of their actual or perceived race or ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender or mental or physical disability," the office said in a release.

The office said in a statement that it would continue with the newly announced policy to stop seeking gang and other sentencing enhancements, including those made available to prosecutors by California's 1994 Three Strikes Law.