George Gascón’s Menendez Obsession: Prioritizing Media Hype Over Justice for Crime Victims

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By Michele Hanisee

L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón has once again demonstrated his opportunism, announcing that he will decide on the potential resentencing of the Menendez brothers by the end of the week—not based on any new developments in the case, but seemingly to grab media attention. Throughout his disastrous tenure as DA, Gascón has consistently prioritized celebrity cases over the rights of crime victims, showing more interest in being in the spotlight than in upholding justice.

While Gascón claims that his office is “divided” on the possible resentencing of the Menendez brothers, the reality is that he has no real sense of how his prosecutors feel because he is woefully out of touch with them. Despite running on a platform of transparency, Gascón has repeatedly broken that promise by refusing to engage with his own deputies and failing to respond to freedom of information act requests. These actions are part of a broader pattern of secrecy and disengagement exemplified by his frequent absence from his office. Gascón seems to be more interested in maintaining appearances and making TikTok videos in front of empty bookshelves than fostering accountability or collaboration.

What’s worse, Gascón has consistently demonstrated selective compassion, displaying blatant disregard for the rights of crime victims. His lack of care for their Constitutional protections is appalling, and his focus on high-profile cases is driven by his desire for television appearances rather than justice. He has repeatedly shown that his concern lies not with the victims or the community but with the chance to score political points and raise his profile.

George Gascón’s actions make it clear that he is more interested in using his office for free media attention than in actual justice. His self-serving agenda has left victims and their families neglected while he chases the next headline.

Michele Hanisee is President of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, the collective bargaining agent representing nearly 900 Deputy District Attorneys.

Correction request to the Los Angeles Times

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Your Editorial of October 5, 2024 (“Endorsement: Reelect Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascón”) contains a significant and provable factual error and I request that you immediately correct this mistake. The Times incorrectly reported that the gun enhancement is duplicative because it adds “extra time for a defendant’s use of a gun when the charges already included armed robbery.”

This is factually inaccurate because there is no crime of “armed robbery” under the California Penal Code.

Section 211 of the California Penal Code states: “Robbery is the felonious taking of personal property in the possession of another, from his person or immediate presence, and against his will, accomplished by means of force or fear.”

https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-pen/part-1/title-8/chapter-4/section-211/

Being armed is not an element of the crime of robbery.  Force or fear can be accomplished by yanking a purse forcibly off a woman’s shoulder, threatening to harm a person if they refuse to relinquish property, or physically restraining a person in order to take their property.

The only thing close to an “armed robbery” in California law is when a defendant is charged with robbery and the added enhancement of using a gun (PC 12022.5 or PC 12022.53), or a knife (PC 12022).

To report that the fictional charge of “armed robbery” makes the gun enhancement duplicative is 100% inaccurate and shows a complete lack of understanding of California law.

Please let me know when you have corrected this error, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Michele Hanisee
President
ADDA

Michele Hanisee on KFI discussing the release of Shanice Dyer

Michele Hanisee on KFI discussing the release of Shanice Dyer, once charged with two brutal murders and now accused of yet another killing, is the latest and most painful chapter in Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón’s tenure. A tenure marked by the betrayal of the public trust, the abandonment of victims, and a total disregard for accountability and justice. Gascón’s policies, designed to rectify perceived systemic imbalances, have instead endangered the community by coddling violent offenders like Dyer, who should never have been given the chance to claim yet another life.

Click now to listen.