DANA.
>> Dana: JOINING US FOR MORE ON
THIS CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY LEO
TERRELL.
EVERY SINGLE TIME ONE OF THESE
THINGS COMES UP GASCON SEEMS TO
HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF FACTS
THAN EVERYONE ELSE.
IT DOES MAKE ME WONDER.
AM I GETTING SOMETHING WRONG?
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE, LEO?
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
YOU ARE NOT GETTING ANYTHING
WRONG.
HE DOUBLED DOWN ON HIS OWN
FACTS.
HIS FACTS ARE NOT THE ABSOLUTE
FACT AT ISSUE.
YOU HAVE THE OFFICERS WHO WERE
-- TWO OFFICERS WHO WERE
MURDERED AND HE CLAIMS THE
ASSAILANT WASN’T A THREAT,
WASN’T DANGEROUS.
HE WAS DANGEROUS.
HE HAD A GUN, AMMO, HE WAS A
CONVICTED FELON.
HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND BARS.
YOU HAVE GEORGE GASCON WHO HAS
A PRO-CRIMINAL ATTITUDE.
CAREER CRIMINALS HE DOESN’T SEE
AS A THREAT.
YET HE CONTINUES TO DOUBLE DOWN
AND THIS OTHER CASE, THE MOST
RECENT CASE, DANA, IS A PERSON
WHO COMMITTED A DOUBLE MURDER.
HE WAS A JUVENILE.
GEORGE GASCON HAS A BLANKET
POLICY IF YOU COMMIT A CRIME AS
A JUVENILE YOU SHOULDN’T BE
TRIED AS AN ADULT.
THAT POLICY DOES NOT FIT ALL
FOR CAREER CRIMINALS.
>> Bill: IF HE IS GOING TO
CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS THIS
WAY, LEO, YOU WILL HAVE MORE
INCIDENTS IN THE L.A. AREA.
THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
WHO LIVE THERE.
YOU HAD ONE JUST THE OTHER DAY.
TWO CLIPS FROM GASCON.
THIS SOUND BITE ON CAMERA.
>> HE COULD HAVE EASILY
COMMITTED IT.
HE WAS RELEASED ON BAIL BECAUSE
THE COURT DETERMINED THAT HE
WAS NOT DANGEROUS.
WE DON’T HAVE A PERSONAL GOAL
OR A WAY TO CONVICT WHEN THERE
IS NO PRIOR HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.
>> Bill: THERE IS HIS DEFENSE
NO PRIOR HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
WITH REGARD TO THE GUY WHO
KILLED THE TWO COPS.
NOW, HE GAVE A QUOTE TO THE
DAILY NEWS.
I WANT TO PUT A FINE POINT ON
THIS, LEO, WE CANNOT USE SINGLE
TRAGEDIES TO MAKE POLICY.
ONE PERSON’S FAILURES CANNOT
LEAD IF YOU DOUBT THE POTENTIAL
OF EVERYONE ELSE.
SO THAT IS HIS PHILOSOPHY.
BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN,
UNFORTUNATELY, ONE SINGLE
TRAGEDY.
>> I READ THAT SAME QUOTE THAT
YOU JUST PUT UP ON THE SCREEN.
IT IS INSULTING TO THE PEOPLE
WHO LOST LOVED ONES.
HERE IS THE SITUATION IN LOS
ANGELES.
500,000 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY
SIGNED A PETITION TO RECALL
GEORGE GASCON.
I SIGNED THAT PETITION.
THEY NEED 567,000 SIGNATURES BY
JULY 6th.
THEY PROBABLY NEED 10 OR 15%
OVER THAT IN ORDER TO PUT THIS
GUY ON THE BALLOT.
THIS RECALL.
EVERY TIME WE WAIT UNTIL THIS
GETS VALIDATED, HE POPS A
BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE.
ONCE THIS RECALL GETS ON THE
BALLOT HE IS GONE.
BUT HE IS STEADFAST TO HIS
PROGRESSIVE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
CITIZENS OF L.A. NEED TO HAVE
THEIR HEADS ON A SWIVEL, BILL,
IN ORDER TO PROTECT THEMSELVES
BECAUSE CRIME IS OCCURRING
EVERYWHERE WITHIN LOS ANGELES
COUNTY.
>> Dana: THERE WAS -- NOT ONLY
INDIVIDUALS SIGNING THE
PETITION FOR THE RECALL.
THE EL MONTE CITY COUNCIL WHERE
THE OFFICERS WORKED HAD THIS
RESOLUTION THAT WE BELIEVE D.A.
GASCON’S POLICIES HAVE BEEN
SHOWN TO THE DETRIMENTAL TO
PUBLIC SAFETY AND DETRIMENTAL
TO THE GOAL WE SHARE OF
REHABILITATING PEOPLE AWAY FROM
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS SHOWN BY
THE HIGH FAILURE RATE OF HIS
POLICY OF NOT HOLDING PEOPLE
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR CRIMINALS
ACTS.
I THINK, LEO, YOU ARE SOMEBODY
WHO BELIEVES THAT THERE IS SOME
NEED FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM OR REHABILITATION OR
RETHINKING HOW WE TRY TO HELP
PEOPLE LEAVING JAIL TO NEVER
COMMIT ANOTHER VIOLENT ACT OR A
CRIME THAT WILL LAND THEM BACK
IN JAIL.
JUST BECAUSE YOU ENFORCE THE
LAWS ON THE BOOKS DOES NOT MEAN
THAT YOU CAN’T ALSO HELP ON THE
ANTI-RECIDIVISM RATE.
>> EL MONTE IS THE 35th CITY
WITHIN THE COUNTY WHO HAVE
SUPPORTED THE RECALL OF GEORGE
GASCON.
GEORGE GASCON MAKES THE FALSE
ASSUMPTION, DANA, THAT THE
CURRENT POLICIES ON RECORD
CANNOT BE USED TO HELP PEOPLE
REHABILITATE THEMSELVES.
BUT WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IS
HE HAS GIVEN A FREE GET OUT OF
JAIL CARD TO CAREER CRIMINALS.
TWO CASES WE’VE TALKED ABOUT
TODAY.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A
PROPENSITY TO ENGAGE IN CRIME
FOR YEARS, FOR YEARS AND YET I
HAVEN’T SEEN ANY ALTERNATIVE AS
TO REHABILITATING THESE PEOPLE
OTHER THAN JUST LETTING THEM
BACK OUT, DANA.
ALL HE IS DOING IS OPENING UP
THE JAILS AND SAYING GO BACK
OUT.
HE GIVES THEM AN EIGHTH, NINTH
AND 10th CHANCE TO COMMIT
FURTHER CRIMES.
>> Bill: THANK YOU.
UNFORTUNATELY WE’LL BE ON THIS