Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, has called on Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón to resign, citing the controversial policies implemented by the county’s top prosecutor in the past year.
In an interview on Fox Business on Tuesday, Garcia highlighted the District Attorney’s Restorative Enhancement Diversion for Youth (REDY) program, which allows minors accused of certain felonies to avoid incarceration and proceed into rehabilitation.
“This is another policy that is failing in California, and it is a continuation of us as a state falling behind on our criminal justice system,” said Garcia in the televised interview. “[This program is] a continuation of really this theme that he’s got of trying to take care of the criminals before he’s trying to protect the law-abiding citizens.”
“This effectively takes minors who have committed very serious felonies out of the court system before they’re even charged and gives them an opportunity to go into this restorative rehabilitation program,” Garcia added.
This is not the first time Garcia has publicly called for Gascón to resign, after having gone on Fox News Digital last month in December and calling for him to step down in response to the then-recently unveiled REDY program.
In a memo distributed last month to all juvenile division personnel at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Sharon Woo, the chief deputy district attorney, informed staff that the program would be formally launched and “will expand the types of cases eligible for diversion.”
The list for eligible candidates to enroll in the program includes those charged with felonious burglary, assaults (without firearms or extensive injuries), vehicle theft, robbery (without firearms, strong arming or great bodily injury), grand theft person, sexual battery or arson.
The charges excluded from the REDY pathway include the most severe felonies, which include homicide or attempted homicide, or any offense where someone was seriously harmed or a gun was used.
In addition to providing them with tailored programs geared toward their social-emotional health, the programs will provide youth offenders with “restorative justice conferences” with crime victims.
“This program will help repair the immense harm that criminal behavior inflicts on our community by giving crime victims the opportunity to actively participate in the restorative justice process,” Gascón said in his November statement.
