The Beverly Hills Bar Association (BHBA) held a remote debate on Oct. 7 for the race for Los Angeles County District Attorney between incumbent Jackie Lacey and her challenger, former San Francisco D.A. George Gascon. The winner of the Nov. 3 election will lead the largest prosecutorial office in the country at a time when the country’s carceral system has come under intense scrutiny.
The hour and a half-long debate, moderated by UCLA School of Law Professor Beth Colgen saw the two prosecutors wade into questions of how to balance equity with public safety. The event contained far fewer pointed remarks or jabs than their Oct. 4 debate, but the candidates nonetheless sketched a contrast in their prosecutorial philosophies. Lacey, once considered a moderately progressive prosecutor, has now defined herself as the law-and-order candidate. Gascon, in contrast, has seized the mantle of progressive upstart.
