The LA County Board of Supervisors approved the hiring of a new special prosecutor to look into police misconduct cases this week, less than a month after Dist. He said. Nathan Hochman moved to oust his predecessor in that position.
Michael Gennaco, a former federal prosecutor who once led LA County's Office of Independent Review and has overseen troubled agencies such as the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of District Attorneys, appeared for the first time on behalf of the district attorney's office. in city court on Wednesday. His contract was approved by the board on Tuesday, and Hochman announced the move on Thursday.
Michael Gennaco, pictured at a 2006 news conference, will handle two high-profile cases. It is not clear whether he will be looking into other cases or whether he will look into future incidents of police misconduct or brutality.
(Ric Francis/Associated Press)
Gennaco will replace Lawrence Middleton, former Dist. He said. George Gascón hired in 2021 to re-examine dozens of police shootings that the district attorney's office had declined to prosecute. Middleton brought just one case to court during that time, although The Times reported last year that he obtained an arrest warrant for a former LAPD officer in another case.
In an interview, Gennaco said Hochman contacted him after the win over Gascón and asked him to take responsibility for Middleton's case. It was not clear whether Gennaco will review other cases or look into future cases of alleged police misconduct or brutality, which are usually handled by the office's Justice Systems Integrity Division.
“I have to find out where the cases are, in terms of the procedure, in terms of the truth, and then I have to find out where I have to go,” he said.
Middleton was notified that his contract was terminated on January 7, according to a district spokesperson. He declined to comment.
The move marked a change in attitude for Hochman, who repeatedly attacked Gascón's hiring of a special prosecutor on the campaign trail and questioned the need for such a position. Records show Middleton billed the district just over $1 million between June 2021 and October 2024, a figure that angered state prosecutors. Gennaco's contract will last 18 months, although Hochman has the ability to extend it.
Hochman did not respond to a questionnaire about Genacco's appointment, but his office released a statement Thursday saying the appointment reflects the DA's unwavering commitment to justice, accountability and public trust.
“Our goal is to ensure transparency and accountability while strengthening public trust in our justice system,” said Hochman. “Michael Gennaco's extensive experience and expertise in human rights litigation will be invaluable as we continue to review prior decisions and reconsider cases involving officer-involved shootings.”
Miriam Krinsky — a former prosecutor and founder of Fair and Just Prosecution, a nonprofit that advocates for criminal justice reform — praised Gennaco as a key hire for Hochman, who has faced questions about his desire to prosecute police because of his broad support among law enforcement. unions.
“He is strong. He is as familiar with police oversight as any Californian. You have incredible integrity. He is very dedicated to this project,” said Krinsky. “If you look at what he's done in his career … he knows how to deal with the challenges of these cases.”
Gennaco and Hochman worked together in the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles for years, where Gennaco prosecuted a number of high-profile civil rights and police misconduct cases before being named head of LA County's newly formed Independent Review Office in 2001.
For more than a decade, that office has been looking into issues of jail violence and excessive use of force, explaining flaws in the way the Sheriff's Department investigates deaths in jails and improving the agency's disciplinary procedures, according to a report by the Citizens Commission On Jail. Violence in 2012.
In recent years, Gennaco has conducted investigations and reviews of energy use cases in Burbank and Anaheim. He also said he reviewed other cases in Gascón.
Gennaco and his former office have also faced criticism for not doing enough to expose patterns of abuse that exploded into the public eye when the FBI launched an investigation that ultimately led to the indictment of former Sheriff Lee Baca, for whom Hochman once served as his bodyguard. advice. Some members of the Board of Directors also questioned whether Gennaco and the board were “compromised” and lacked independence from the Sheriff's Department.
Gennaco said anyone who questions his commitment to police accountability should check his record.
“I have no shame in criticizing police departments when they deserve criticism, and praising them when they don't,” he said. “I try to play it down.”
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