Los Angeles officially has a new District Attorney now that Nathan Hochman has replaced George Gascón following last month’s vote.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger swore Hochman in as the new L.A. DA on Tuesday outside the city’s Hall of Justice. Hochman’s wife Vivienne Vella was also in attendance.
“District attorneys must have only two things as their North Stars: the facts and the law,” DA Hochman told the crowd. “I reject blanket extreme policies on both sides of the pendulum swing — decarceration policies that predetermine that certain crimes and certain criminals are not going to be prosecuted and mass incarceration policies that also are not anchored in the facts and the law.”
His appointment notably comes amid the county’s handling of the Menendez Brothers case. Hochman and Gascón have publicly stated their opposing views on granting Lyle and Erik Menendez clemency and/or resentencing after the success of Netflix’s “Monsters” anthology series. Most recently, their December hearing was postponed until Jan. 30 and 31, 2025.
While Hochman did not mention the brothers specifically in his Tuesday speech, he did discuss the pair with reporters after the press conference. “We’re going to look at all potential eventualities with the Menendez case,” he told TMZ. “But what I want to make crystal clear is two things: One, the Menendez case, though it has received high levels of media attention, will not get preferential treatment.”
The new DA continued, “The second is, I love the fact that the Menendez case has gotten media attention, because what it has done — I’m hoping — is it’s an entry point for people to get involved with the criminal justice system.”
During his swearing in ceremony, Hochman also addressed Los Angeles’ myriad crises — including homelessness, fentanyl, human trafficking, hate crimes and burglary.
“No longer is this can getting kicked down the road,” he said. “The DA’s Office will partner with federal, state and local law enforcement, government organizations, nonprofits and other groups to seek solutions to problems that have severely affected public safety and the quality of life of residents throughout the county.”
Additionally, Hochman promised to implement Day 1 changes to his predecessor’s more liberal regulations — such as restoring sentencing enhancements and rescinding a prohibition against charging minors with misdemeanors for theft of <$950.
“The solemn and bedrock promise that the government makes to each of you is that it will keep you and your families safe and do so in the most legal, fair, and impartial way possible,” he further noted. “Working with the 2,100 employees of the DA’s Office, the tens of thousands of law enforcement officers, firefighters and first responders, and the hundreds of community organizations and neighborhood associations, we will keep that promise.”
Fellow Republican Schwarzenegger previously served as California’s governor from 2003-2011, though he stated in 2024 he now dislikes both parties.
