Does Los Angeles need a city attorney who is considered “tough on crime” and vows to make neighborhoods safer or someone who plans to push workers’ and tenants’ rights?
That is the choice LA city voters will make in the Nov. 3 general election for Los Angeles City Attorney, a job that oversees legal guidance to branches within the criminal justice system and the city’s response to municipal laws.
People interviewed had mixed feelings, including several who said Roy’s less aggressive approach seemed better for the city.
“All these people are being punished for stealing from a Target or a Walmart… pampers, baby food, women’s health products,” said Derrick Nevarez, a CSULA student. “What has that accomplished? People are thrown in jail, they come out and go to jail worse than they were before.”
Those like Max Besser, an L.A. resident, said significant changes are unlikely to happen either way: “I have a hard time believing there will be drastic changes with either candidate due to the amorphous and bureaucratic design of LA city politics, but there can be small measures achieved in policy-making and influence that can at least get the ball rolling for further change.”
The selection of a Los Angeles City Attorney will dictate how the city chooses to go about advising the city’s various departments on legal matters, defending the city on legal issues that arise, and prosecuting civil and criminal misdemeanors such as domestic violence, driving under the influence, firearms, environmental, animal cruelty, theft, and vandalism, according to the Official Los Angeles City Attorney website.
Attorneys John McKinney and Marissa Roy were selected to partake in general elections after the conclusion of primary nominating elections. Roy led with 320,771 votes, or 43.12%, and McKinney followed with 212,754 votes, or 28.60%. Incumbent Hydee Feldstein Soto placed third with 133,77 votes, or 17.99%, ending her run as city attorney.
McKinney and Roy, despite both being attorneys, have stark differences between their practices when it comes to misdemeanor offenses.
McKinney, a Democrat, is a working-class attorney who has worked for more than two decades as a prosecutor protecting victims and holding offenders accountable. He has worked in the Victim Impact Program Unit, Major Crimes Division, and the Hardcore Gang Division. McKinney intends to strengthen prosecution against misdemeanor offenders, with his primary concerns being shoplifting, drug offenders, and community safety.
“Focusing on repeat offenders who drive quality-of-life crime, addressing retail theft and organized shoplifting, prosecuting illegal firearms possession, and working closely with law enforcement to address dangerous activity like street racing an open-air drug markets” is his primary goal to ensure L.A. is safe for families and small businesses, McKinney wrote in his as part of the policy platform on his campaign website.
Marissa Roy, originally a Deputy Attorney General, is a civil rights lawyer who participated in numerous lawsuits pertaining to the protection of blue-collar workers. Roy works to reexamine non-violent misdemeanor cases, as well as implement rehabilitation facilities and community resources to decrease the possibility of reoffense.
“Instead of preventing harm, this system separates people from their families and community, saddles them with permanent criminal records, and it makes it harder for them to find and keep housing or work,” said Marissa Roy in her policy platform on her website. “As City Attorney, my priority will be working hand-in-hand with communities to address root causes of crime with tailored solutions that reduce recidivism.”
Both candidates have received endorsements from notable organizations and political figures pertaining to their concentrations as attorneys.
Marissa Roy is endorsed by the LA County Federation of Labor, SEIU – United Healthcare Workers, Sen. Bernie Sanders, State Controller Malia Cohen, and California Working Families Party for her work with working-class Angelenos.
John McKinney is endorsed by Democrats for Israel – LA, Los Angeles city councilmembers Traci Park, Monica Rodriguez, John Lee and Tim McOsker; Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hotchman; the Los Angeles Police Protective League; and former Los Angeles County District Attorneys Jackie Lacey and Steve Cooley.
Kristen Abernathy, an LA resident and teacher who plans to vote, said she still needs to do some research about the city attorney candidates but generally, “I would prefer a city attorney that [focuses on] community outreach and rehabilitation to prevent re-offenses.”
She said if politicians want people to be more civically engaged, they need to try harder to mean what they say because right now, sadly, “there’s a gap between whatever a candidate promises and what the reality becomes.”
Community News produces stories about under-covered neighborhoods and small cities on the Eastside and South Los Angeles. Please email feedback, corrections and story tips to [email protected].