Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is wasting no time in reshaping the office after his landslide victory over progressive incumbent George Gascón. One of Hochman’s first moves will be to terminate special prosecutor Lawrence Middleton, who was appointed by Gascón to revisit several controversial police shooting cases.
Middleton, a former federal prosecutor known for securing convictions against LAPD officers in the 1991 Rodney King case, was tasked with reexamining four police shootings that Gascón’s predecessor, Jackie Lacey, chose not to prosecute. Hochman’s office announced that Middleton’s services would “no longer be used,” marking a significant shift in the approach to law enforcement accountability under the new administration.
The decision has sparked immediate backlash from activists. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, condemned the move, saying, “D.A. Hochman’s removal of Middleton essentially gives cops the green light to kill our people and be as corrupt as they dare with absolute immunity.”
Middleton’s hiring in 2021 created tensions within the DA’s office, where career prosecutors bristled at his authority to override their decisions and criticized his hefty compensation. Between 2021 and 2024, Middleton billed over $1 million for his services, earning him the nickname “Millionaire Middleton” among discontented staffers, who make far less annually.
The cases Middleton reviewed included:
- Hector Morejon (2015): An unarmed 19-year-old shot in the back by Long Beach Officer Jeffrey Meyer, who claimed he mistook Morejon’s actions for reaching for a weapon.
- Brendon Glenn (2015): An unarmed homeless man shot in the back by LAPD Officer Clifford Proctor in Venice Beach, a shooting later disputed by security footage and witness testimony.
- Ricardo Diaz Zeferino (2013): A man mistakenly suspected of theft, shot eight times by Gardena police after appearing confused during a stop.
- Christopher Deandre Mitchell (2018): Killed by Torrance officers who believed a pellet gun in his possession was a real firearm. The officers were later indicted for manslaughter.
Hochman’s decision to fire Middleton signals a return to a more centrist approach to law enforcement, fulfilling his campaign promise to restore balance and address public safety concerns. Whether this decision brings stability or further controversy remains to be seen as Hochman begins his tenure.
