A veteran Los Angeles County prosecutor scolded his boss Thursday, saying his progressive reforms and management style alienated his colleagues and turned the nation’s largest district attorney’s office into a “managerial garbage fire.” .
In a lengthy letter to District Attorney George Gascon and his top aides, District Attorney Mark Burnley voiced a number of grievances on his last day in office. Burnley said he has been with the prosecutor’s office since 1999 and as a prosecutor for 28 years.
“Until December 2020, I thought I had the best job in the world,” Burnley wrote, referring to when Gascon took office after ousting incumbent District Attorney Jackie Lacey, in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. “I am constantly in awe of the experience and knowledge of the DDAs in this office. They are deeply dedicated and have an impressive amount of experience. It’s a shame they can’t or won’t acknowledge that.”
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY GEORGE GASCON CREATING THE RACIAL JUSTICE LAW SECTION
A Recall George Gascon sign and Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon. Critics of him include some of his own prosecutors who say his policies have made it difficult for them to do their jobs and serve crime victims.
(fake images)
In his letter, Burnley said a member of Gascón’s transition team told him before he took office that there would be no “dramatic” policy changes. The morning before he was sworn in as the county’s top prosecutor, Burnley was told otherwise, he said.
“Many of us hoped, like Mark Burnley, that George Gascon could run a government office. He made it clear, from the first minute of his administration, that he couldn’t,” Eric Siddall, vice president of the Association of Assistant District Attorneys. for Los Angeles County, Fox News Digital said in a statement.
“Nothing has changed since then,” he added. “Gascón and his cronies have made the Southwest Airlines executive team look like a bunch of managerial geniuses. Dedicated public servants are leaving the office in record numbers. Interest in joining the office is at an all-time low. And people from Los Angeles is paying the price. Burnley is right: competition matters.”
Gascón has faced increasing criticism for his progressive criminal justice policies that some say allow criminals to go and fail to protect the rights of victims. Upon taking office, he issued a series of directives, some of which have been reduced. Policy changes include a ban on charging suspected minors as adults and not charging for criminal enhancements, among others.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY DA GASCON ISSUED DIRECTIVES TO AVOID ‘ADVERSE IMMIGRATION CONSEQUENCES’
It also repealed a long-standing policy of notifying crime victims about upcoming parole hearings scheduled for those who harmed them or their loved ones, and barred a representative from the prosecutor’s office from attending those hearings in names of the victims.
In his letter, Burnley said he believes criminal justice reform is needed, such as alternative sentencing programs for certain defendants, as well as diversion programs for those convicted of nonviolent misdemeanors and felonies.
“Fifteen minutes of basic legal research would have been more than enough to modify the policies to comply with the law,” Burnley said. In a Zoom meeting hosted by Gascon, Burnley said his boss “displayed a staggering lack of experience and procedural knowledge. For example, he seemed completely unaware of how his policies would affect hate crime and financial crime prosecutions. The combination of arrogance and inexperience was obvious.”
In addition to the way his office views criminal justice, Gascón has also been accused of retaliating against his own prosecutors, who publicly criticize him and point out flaws in his policies.
“It has also wrecked the personal and professional lives of dozens of people who chose to dedicate their legal education to public service,” Burnley wrote.
SENIOR PROSECUTORS SAY THEY WERE DEMOCATED BY DA GASCÓN AFTER PUBLICLY CRITICIZING HIM: ‘INSTALLING FEAR’
Assistant District Attorney John Lewin delivers opening remarks at the Robert Durst murder trial on Thursday, March 5, 2020.
(Robyn Beck/AFP via AP, Pool)
Several veteran prosecutors, including John McKinney, who has won several high-profile cases, and John Lewin, both from the Major Crimes Division, and Jason Lustig have been moved to lower-level positions.
“Everything that he (Burnley) wrote was completely accurate and, unfortunately, completely true,” Lewin told Fox News Digital. “From day one, George Gascon walked in there, he had no experience as a line prosecutor. He had no desire to protect the public and had no interest in trying to implement his policies in an intelligent and responsible way.”
Lustig told Fox News Digital that Burnley is a highly respected prosecutor who was absolutely right in his criticism.
“He’s capturing the sentiment of George Gascon trying to dismantle the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office,” he said. “He really is trying to burn it to the ground.”
Fox News Digital has contacted Gascon’s office.
LOS ANGELES DA GEORGE GASCON’S RETIREMENT EFFORT SHINED LIGHT ON HIS RADICAL POLICIES, SAYS REP. DA
Despite the backlash, Gascón has survived two impeachment attempts and has weathered criticism from crime victims, law enforcement chiefs, fellow district attorneys and elected officials.
“Hopefully he shows more humility and less arrogance for the rest of his term,” Burnley said. “What have you learned from the two recall efforts? It takes courage and integrity to do an honest self-assessment; I doubt you’re up to the task.”
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