A judge has ruled against the union representing Los Angeles County prosecutors in what he said was by the time of his ruling a largely moot case that only affected the interests of one lawyer and whether his promotion was proper.
The Association of Deputy District Attorneys for Los Angeles County and 10 deputy district attorneys filed a petition in October 2021 against then-District Attorney George Gascon, who hired several deputy public defenders to fill open positions within his office rather than hire from within.
The union challenged the decisions before the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission and lost. The union then filed its petition and current District Attorney Nathan Hochman replaced Gascon as a respondent after Hochman handily defeated the incumbent in 2024.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephen I. Goorvitch heard arguments on Jan. 14 and took the case under submission before ruling Wednesday, denying the union’s petition. The judge noted that his role was similar to that of an appellate court reviewing the commission’s decision.
Goorvitch said the petition was “almost entirely moot” because the prosecutors have been either promoted to their desired grades or have left the office. Only one former deputy public defender, John Perroni, remains a deputy district attorney and the commission ruled properly, the judge found.
“There is sufficient evidence in the record to support the commission’s decision that Perroni possessed a background and experience necessary to implement Gascon’s vision and priorities; he transferred to a position similar to the one he held as a deputy public defender and he possessed the requisite skills and aptitudes to discharge the duties of his new position, having been a DPD for almost 15 years,” Goorvitch said.
The judge also denied the union’s request that the District Attorney’s Office not hire, transfer or appoint any public defender or any other personnel unqualified under civil service rules to hold any position as a Deputy District Attorney 2 through 5.
“The court cannot issue (an order) on this basis because the county can, in fact, transfer employees under the civil service rules,” Goorvitch said.