LOS ANGELES — Before Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman reduced 16 felony charges against LAPD Officer Daniel Flores to misdemeanors, Flores’ attorney warned that prosecuting an officer who secretly recorded alleged racism, sexism and homophobia inside the department would send a message to other officers considering exposing misconduct.
“Every cop in the City got the District Attorney’s message: if you blow the whistle on fellow officers, you will pay the price, not them,” attorney Alan Jackson previously told LA Focus. “And you’ll pay it in felony charges.”
Hochman now acknowledges concern about that message played a role in his decision to reduce the charges.
“Nothing changed with respect to either the facts or the law,” Hochman said following the reduction.
Instead, Hochman said he became concerned that the felony prosecution was creating a perception that his office would not protect legitimate whistleblowers — and that such a perception could discourage people from coming forward.
“And that’s a message that I didn’t want to send,” Hochman said.
The shift is significant because Hochman has not backed away from his legal case against Flores or said the 16 felony charges were improperly filed.
Flores, 43, was charged after prosecutors alleged he made 122 recordings involving 16 people while assigned to the LAPD’s Recruitment and Employment Division. Flores says he was documenting racist, sexist and homophobic conduct by colleagues.
Hochman described...
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