What happens in one DA's race could set the course for the future of law enforcement in America.
By Joe Rihn
[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap]s a summer of unrest draws to a close, the contest to lead the nation’s largest district attorney’s office grows nearer. The two candidates running for Los Angeles district attorney are incumbent Jackie Lacey, who took office in 2012, and George Gascón, who served as San Francisco’s chief of police before taking over as San Francisco’s district attorney in 2011, when Kamala Harris became California’s attorney general. After squaring off against Lacey and public defender Rachel Rossi in last March’s primary, Gascón took home just over 28 percent of the vote, forcing a runoff with Lacey, who received just under 49 percent. As highly visible acts of police violence, including the killing of Dijon Kizzee by L.A. County sheriff's deputies on August 31, continue to spark protests, the election is closely tied to the debate over police reform.
Co-published: This article was produced by Capital & Main which is an award-winning publication that reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. L.A. Taco is co-publishing this article.