Six people are vying to become the next Los Angeles County District Attorney to replace retiring DA Steve Cooley.
The candidates will face some of the state and region’s most critical law enforcement issues -- from the legalization of marijuana, to alternative sentencing to prison realignment and the state’s death penalty, which voters will decide whether to keep or abolish in November.
The race is notable because of the publicity surrounding criticism of Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, including a lawsuit filed by rival Alan Jackson over Trutanich’s self-designated title of "Chief Prosecutor" on the ballot and his false claims of endorsements.
Voters go to the polls on June 5.
In order for a candidate to win the seat outright in the primary, the candidate must earn 50 percent of the vote. Otherwise, the top two candidates from June 5 face off on Nov. 6.
Here are bios of the candidates, all veteran prosecutors, in alphabetical order:
John Breault III:
- Age: 69
- Job Title: Deputy District Attorney
- Party Affiliation: Republican
- Endorsements include: None
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from Loyola University; Georgetown Law School.
- Website: None
Bobby Grace:
- Age: 51
- Job Title: Deputy District Attorney
- Party Affiliation: Democrat
- Endorsements include: Barbara Calhoun, former Compton City Councilwoman, Lois Gatson, former Duarte City Councilwoman
- Education: Bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles; Loyola Law School.
- Website: https://bobbygrace4da.com
Alan Jackson:
- Age: 46
- Job Title: Assistant Head Deputy of the Major Crimes Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
- Party Affiliation: Republican
- Endorsements include: Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Michael Antonovich; Peace Officers Research Association of California.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin; Juris doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law.
- Website: http://alanjacksonforda.com
Jacquelyn Lacey:
- Age: 55
- Job Title: Chief Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County
- Party Affiliation: Democrat
- Endorsements include: D.A. Steve Cooley, the Los Angeles Times.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She graduated from the University of Southern California Law School.
- Website: http://jackielacey.com/
Danette Meyers:
- Age: 54
- Job Title: Senior Deputy District Attorney
- Party Affiliation: Democrat
- Endorsements include: the Democratic Party, former D.A. Gil Garcetti and the Association of Deputy District Attorneys.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego; Juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law.
- Website: http://www.danetteforda.com/
Carmen Trutanich:
- Age: 60
- Job Title: Los Angeles City Attorney
- Party Affiliation:
- Endorsements include: California Governor Jerry Brown, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca. United Firefighters of Los Angeles City
- Education: Master of Business Administration at the University of Southern California; South Bay University College of Law.
- Website: http://www.carmentrutanich.com/
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