Jackie Lacey

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Jackie Lacey

Prior offices

Los Angeles County District Attorney

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of California, Irvine, 1979

Law

University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, 1982

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

District Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Campaign YouTube

Jackie Lacey was the Los Angeles County District Attorney in California. She assumed office in 2012. She left office in 2020.

Lacey ran for re-election for Los Angeles County District Attorney in California. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Lacey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Jackie Lacey was born in Crenshaw, California. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine in 1979 and a J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 1982. Her professional experience includes working as the Los Angeles District Attorney. Before assuming that position, Lacey worked as a prosecutor in the DA's office. She has served with her church, with rotary clubs, and as co-chair of the Los Angeles County Interagency Child Abuse and Neglect.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2020)

General election

General election for Los Angeles County District Attorney

George Gascón defeated incumbent Jackie Lacey in the general election for Los Angeles County District Attorney on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		George Gascón (Nonpartisan)	53.5	2,002,865
		Jackie Lacey (Nonpartisan)	46.5	1,738,617

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,741,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Los Angeles County District Attorney

Incumbent Jackie Lacey and George Gascón defeated Rachel Rossi in the primary for Los Angeles County District Attorney on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jackie Lacey (Nonpartisan)	48.7	869,127
✔		George Gascón (Nonpartisan)	28.2	504,088
	Submit photo	Rachel Rossi (Nonpartisan)	23.1	413,231

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,786,446
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Municipal elections in Los Angeles County, California (2016)

Los Angeles County held elections for county commission, district attorney, and special districts in 2016. The general election was held on November 8, 2016. A primary election was held on July 7, 2016. The candidate filing deadline for this election was on March 11, 2016. Incumbent Jackie Lacey ran unopposed in the district attorney primary election.

District Attorney, Primary Election, 2016
Candidate
Jackie Lacey Incumbent

Noteworthy events

Recall effort (2017)

See also: Jackie Lacey recall, Los Angeles County, California (2017)

A recall effort was launched against Lacey in January 2017 following her announcement not to file criminal charges against two police officers who shot and killed a mentally ill black man in 2014.

Campaign themes

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released October 28, 2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Jackie Lacey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lacey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up in a working-class home in the Crenshaw district of South LA and attended Dorsey High School. My community shaped me in every way and led me to pursue a career as a prosecutor. I was one of only four African American's in my USC law graduating class. I served over thirty years as a courtroom prosecutor in the DA's office and went onto to serve LA County's first-ever hate crime. In 2012 I was elected to be LA County's first African American and first woman DA. My upbringing drove me to run for this office 8 years ago and is the reason why I decided to run for reelection. I witnessed vulnerable people in my community who did not have access or knowledge of the justice system. I was drawn to public service because I wanted to be a voice for those people. I wanted to make a difference for people like my father who was shot and never received justice. I also wanted to reform areas of our criminal justice system that are not fair and perpetuate inequality. These values still drive me every day.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• As the first African American and first woman LA District Attorney, I have the knowledge and experience to deliver historic reforms while keeping our community safe.
• My pioneering mental health reforms have created alternatives to incarceration for thousands of non-violent offenders suffering from mental illness and helped to train over 2,000 law enforcement officers on how to deescalate situations involving people with mental health problems.
• Protecting the safety of our community from violent and dangerous criminals will always be my highest priority. I will always stand up for the rights of crime victims who are disproportionately people of color and people who come from poorer communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The single biggest issue facing our criminal justice system and our County is how we deal with people suffering from mental illness within the court system. Recognizing the need for the criminal justice system to better treat people living with mental illness, I founded and lead the pioneering Criminal Justice Mental Health Project in LA County, which has set priorities for a comprehensive mental health diversion plan that provides alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders, using input from government agencies and community-based organizations. If elected I plan to build on this initiative so that we are better able to tackle homelessness and all of the issues that stem from it.

I am also proud to have pioneered a program that has trained over 2,000 law enforcement officers on how to deescalate situations involving people with mental illnesses or drug addictions. The program has been a major success and we have already seen a significant decrease in the number of police shootings involving a suspect with a mental illness.

Human trafficking remains a serious issue in our communities. I established a Human Trafficking Unit which prosecutes pimps who exploit children and adults. Most of the children preyed upon are from the foster care system. By targeting pimps and not prosecuting children, we help to redirect the children out of prostitution and into a healthy supportive environment.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

This office is unique because we are constantly innovating and adapting so that we can be a modern leader in criminal justice and community safety. We look to be a role model for other jurisdictions so that we can find solutions to complex problems facing our judicial system. My office led in the creation of the conviction review in 2015 unit. This was part of my commitment to innovate the criminal system. Although the vast majority of convictions are upheld, I know that the pursuit of justice is not always perfect. The unit has been a model for a number of other jurisdictions wishing to make reforms in this space.

We have also led from the front in pioneering the mental health initiative within the DAs office. This landmark reform was the first of its kind for LA County and a shining example of what can be achieved when you bring people together for a common purpose. I also believe that the DA can show initiative and lead in the legislative process. I actively lobbied and helped craft SB 10, a piece of legislation that that will be instrumental in ending cash bail.

In all of these areas I believe that the LA District Attorney can play a meaninful role in shaping the national diologue around criminal justice reform.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

As the first African American and the first woman Los Angeles DA, I am more than aware that I am standing on the shoulders of many incredible women that have come before me. Women like Yvonne Burke, who was one of the first Black women admitted to USC. She went on to have an astounding career as a US Congresswoman where she was the first was the first sitting member of the house to give birth while in office.

Then there is Congresswoman Diane Watson, who after being elected to the Los Angeles School Board, fought tirelessly to integrate LA public schools before becoming the first African American to serve in the California State Senate.

The late Gwen Moore is another Black woman who rose to become the Majority Whip in the State Assembly, she was instrumental in building consensus and passing over 400 bills that were signed into law. Gwen's work to strengthen the number of Black and minority-owned businesses is an achievement that will be felt across thousands of communities for generations to come.

All of these women have so much in common. They broke the shackles of institutional racism and didn't stop there. They used their unique positions of power to drive much needed change in their communities and the country as a whole. There is no question that I would not be where I am today if it were not for the efforts of these incredible women who blazed the trail before me.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

There are two books that shed a particularly strong light on my political philosophy. The Audacity of Hope by Barrack Obama and Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

This role is unique to almost any other elected position in the country. As DA it is vital to be independent, so that every case is taken on its merits and decisions are made on the available evidence. I have found that you must also be patient and pragmatic so that the course of justice can be served in a responsible and ethical manner. The Los Angeles DA has to display integrity and fairness for both the victim and the accuoused.

These are qualities that cannot be delivered by someone who is using the office for political gain. My opponent has shown a disturbing willingness to politicize particular cases to advance his career. This is not the approach that is needed in the Los Angeles DAs office.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility of someone elected is to keep the people of LA County safe. The vast majority of crime victims in this county are poor folks and people of color. I have always stood up for these victims. In 1997 I successfully carried out California's first prosecution of a hate crime. I firmly believe that you can make critical reforms within the office, without sacrificing public safety.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember vividly watching the black and white television when the news came through that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in 1963. I was 6 years old at the time but I will always remember my parents in tears and in disbelief that the President had just been killed. This was truly a moment that will live in the memories of all those who lived through it.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a sales clerk at a local Sears. I worked there for two years as a minimum wage employee. The experience was gruelling at times, to say the least! I continued to work jobs like this in order to help get me through college and eventually law school. Like so many kids that have come from humble backgrounds, I value the importance of gaining critical life experiences by working hard to get where I needed to be,

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"One in a Million" by Larry Graham.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Growing up poor in the Crenshaw District in the 1970s, I experienced my fair share of challenges. However, nothing will compare to the day that I found out that my father had been shot outside our family home. He had been cleaning up gang-affiliated graffiti on a wall near where I grew up. The people that committed the crime were never caught or prosecuted. This tragedy changed me forever but further encouraged me to pursue a career as a prosecutor. It was clear to me that justice was not always delivered equally. Many people in my community didn't know the law and didn't know their rights. These are the people that drove me to enter public life and I have never forgotten them.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

In order to lead the largest prosecutorial office in the nation, it is critical to have courtroom experience. Throughout my career as a prosecutor, I have tried over 100 cases, including 11 murder trials. There simply is no substitute for having hands-on experience within the justice system. This is not a job for a career politician or someone who needs to be in the limelight. This is a role that requires deep knowledge, experience, and empathy for those navigating the criminal justice system.

My opponent has never tried a single case. He simply does not have the necessary experience to be considered qualified to lead this office.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

The Los Angeles District Attorney overseas over 1,000 lawyers who on a yearly basis prosecute over 100,000 cases. In an office this size you need to gain the respect of those within it and effectively manage your employees to create a culture that delivers fairness and justice for all. I have a record of bringing people together in order to find solutions to complex problems. I have assembled an incredibly diverse team of lawyers from all walks of life. I know that they respect my experience and I can trust them to carry out the important duties of this office.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Lacey’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Protecting everyone’s rights and enhancing neighborhood safety As District Attorney, Jackie Lacey works everyday to protect our rights and enhance neighborhood safety. She understands firsthand that it’s absolutely critical for all victims’ human rights to be protected, including civil rights, consumer rights, worker rights, immigrant rights, women's rights, and senior rights. DA Lacey recognizes that yesterday’s criminal justice system shouldn’t define tomorrow’s, and strives to protect the community through the fair and ethical pursuit of justice and the safeguarding of crime victim’s rights. Enacting critical reforms to better address people with mental illnesses Recognizing the need for the criminal justice system to better treat people living with mental illness, DA Lacey founded and leads the pioneering Criminal Justice Mental Health Project in LA County, which has set priorities for a comprehensive mental health diversion plan that provides alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders, using input from government agencies and community-based organizations. Their work culminated in the widely acclaimed Report from the Mental Health Advisory Board: Blue Print For Change, which proposed expanding training for law enforcement personnel and adding community-based beds to house and treat individuals with mental illness, particularly those with criminal records. Among other accomplishments, the project secured $150 million in funding from the county, ensured the opening of urgent care centers as an alternative to jail for certain arrestees, and helped create a new county office of diversion and re-entry. Internally, Lacey has re-branded the District Attorney's office to emphasize their role in protecting the community through the fair and ethical pursuit of justice, including revamping hiring and training practices. The DA’s Office now trains hundreds of patrol officers and dispatchers in de-escalation tactics for people undergoing a mental health crisis, and is increasing the number of collaborative courts to divert those who have mental illness, substance abuse, and or post traumatic stress disorder. This training program was recognized by the National Association of Counties in 2017. Lastly, Lacey is in the process of revising the County’s Brady Policy to ensure that prosecutors adhere to their constitutional mandate to ensure a fair trial by providing exculpatory information to the defense. Working to Replace the Broken Cash Bail System The existing money bail system is in dire need of reform. It’s absolutely absurd the extent to which our jails are crowded with nonviolent offenders who simply cannot afford their cash bail. According to a 2015 report from the Public Policy Institute of California, more than 62% of county jail inmates are awaiting trials or sentencing, costing slightly more than $178 per inmate per day in LA County. Most remain in jail simply because they can’t afford bail. Prosecutors should support reform that ensures people aren’t punished for being poor, but ensures safety, fairness and justice. That’s why DA Lacey supported California Senate Bill 10, a pioneering law passed in 2018 that drastically reformed the state’s cash bail system by transitioning from our existing system to a pretrial release program that protects public safety while maintaining the liberty of the person accused. This transformational program would maximize public resources, protect victim’s rights, and ensure court appearances continue without disproportionately hurting low-income arrestees. The pretrial release program would quickly evaluate and safely release arrestees, while assuring broad judicial discretion in making detention decisions. It would accomplish this through a non-discriminatory risk assessment tool used for all detained arrestees, which accelerates release for non-serious, non-violent offenders who remain detained before arraignment. DA Lacey believes that this risk assessment tool should be open for public inspection, so that experts and other members of the public can evaluate whether or not the established risk assessment standards are discriminatory. The program would also provide judicial discretion for offenders charged with serious violent offenses, or those with a criminal history, over conditions of their release. Taking on perpetrators of sexual violence and child abuse In response to the increased willingness of alleged victims of sexual violence to come forward and the widespread allegations of abuse in the entertainment industry, DA Lacey recently established a task force of veteran sex crimes prosecutors to evaluate these cases for prosecution when they are referred to the DA’s office. Lacey has also taken a special interest in combatting sex trafficking, including establishing a Sex Trafficking Section, which prosecutes criminals engaged in sexually exploiting women and children. In fact, the number of human trafficking charges filed nearly tripled between 2013 and 2014 after Lacey created a special Human Trafficking Unit that focuses on putting pimps behind bars and protecting their victims, instead of charging underage girls with prostitution. Additionally, DA Lacey founded a specialized unit to address the growth in complex child abuse cases that often have no eyewitnesses to explain how the injuries occurred and created the Electronic Suspected Child Abuse Reporting System Unit, which significantly increased the number of report audits completed. Enhancing efforts to combat environmental crimes In a time of increasing climate catastrophes, Lacey has been dedicated to prosecuting environmental crimes, most notably by reinvigorating the DA’s Environmental Crimes Division and launching a program that dispatches prosecutors and investigators to industrial incidents involving occupational deaths and environmental threats, designed to enhanced the preservation of evidence during the early stages of an investigation. These units helped yield better quality cases, aiding the prosecution of those who violate environmental laws and helping to hold them accountable. Banning the Use of Private Prisons While the expansion of private prisons is not the only problem in California’s often slow-moving criminal justice system, there is something particularly galling about people making money off of increasing the size of our prison population. CEOs and shareholders of private prison companies have an incentive to minimize investments and maximize profits for shareholders, which ultimately results in them cutting corners to lower operating costs, including worse treatment of inmates and worse pay for prison guards. It’s completely contrary to our values, particularly in a state as progressive as California, to have a system structure where people can profit off of mass incarceration, and are incentivized to lock up more people. That’s why I support the Governor and the State Legislature in their effort to ban this backwards and immoral practice in California. Corporate executives and shareholders should not be profiting from putting people in cages, and it’s time to end the archaic and cruel practice of private prisons in California and pass AB 32. Check out my editorial in the LA Times on the subject here. Protecting seniors and immigrant communities from financial scams Acknowledging the growing threat of financial scams, DA Lacey has introduced several campaigns that help safeguard vulnerable communities from fraud. Jackie instituted the DA’s bimonthly Fraud Alerts to educate the public about common fraud schemes targeting seniors, including counterfeit drug scams and Medicare rip-offs. This education initiative was recognized by the National Association of Counties in 2017. These alerts were part of a collaborative effort with service organizations to educate seniors about common scams aimed at taking their money, including distributing literature at senior centers, and a public service announcement that runs on county sponsored television. DA Lacey also understands that LA County’s great diversity attracts con artists seeking to manipulate and cheat some of our newest residents out of their hard-earned money, particularly under this administration, and that everyone – regardless of their immigration status – deserves to be protected against crime and to receive justice when they have been victimized. Consequently, Jackie launched the Notario Fraud Unit, dedicated to prosecuting immigration fraud and the unlicensed practice of law by con artists who often collect high fees from victims without delivering any services. The team conducts public outreach, participates in immigration task forces, drafts legislation to better protect consumers and conducts training for prosecutors, law enforcement personnel and consumer advocates. Ensuring the fair and ethical pursuit of justice Understanding firsthand the urgent need to ensure employees at the District Attorney's Office better serve LA County’s diverse population, Jackie ensured that the DA’s Office became the first department in Los Angeles County to provide implicit bias training to employees. The training provides the tools for prosecutors to look inward and evaluate their biases and how they may affect the decisions they make, which directly impact people’s liberty. DA Lacey also created a staff position to advise, teach and advance a better practice of ethics and professional conduct throughout the office. Lacey also worked to modernize the DA’s website, including publishing documents and information on law enforcement use of force cases. Lastly, Jackie created a conviction review unit to review cases in which a claim has been made that the wrong person was punished for a serious crime. The LA County’s DA office is one of only six offices in the state that has such a unit. Dedicating more resources to addressing opioid abuse At a time when prescription pain pills or heroin are driving more than half of drug overdose deaths in the country, DA Lacey has intensified efforts to address those who are illegally supplying opioids, including prosecuting dealers and medical professionals who are illegally distributing prescription pain relievers. Expanding efforts to combat cybercrime Recognizing the growing threat of identity theft and other cybercrime, DA Lacey established two teams of cybercrime experts to address the growing threat of cybercrime. One investigates and prosecutes high tech crimes committed against businesses in LA County, as well as educating local businesses on ways to protect themselves from becoming victims. The other team addresses attacks on county government resources and trains county departments, including their recent work to apprehend defendants who hacked into LA County’s information infrastructure. Tackling government corruption DA Lacey has also led efforts to hold public officials accountable under the law, something that is essential to maintaining public trust in government. Most notably in 2014, seven former Bell city officials were sentenced for their roles in the most significant public corruption case prosecuted in Los Angeles County in more than a decade. Focusing on serious violent or sexual crimes Violent crime in Los Angeles County continues to be reported at an all-time low and DA Lacey remains committed to maintaining public safety through the prosecution of dangerous criminals. After undergoing a frustrating process where the LA DA’s office unsuccessfully tried to prevent the release of a notorious serial rapist into Los Angeles County following the passage of Prop 36, the DA’s office went to Sacramento and sponsored AB 1607 to change the law. As a result, the next time a sexually violent predator is scheduled for release anywhere in California, the affected county will be notified and given the opportunity to actively participate in the decision-making process.	”
—Jackie Lacey’s campaign website (2020)

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Footnotes

|- style="text-align: center;" |- style="text-align:center;" |width="30%" align="center" rowspan="1"|Preceded by
- |width="40%" style="text-align: center;" rowspan="1"|Los Angeles District Attorney
2012-2020 |width="30%" align="center" rowspan="1"| Succeeded by
George Gascón |-