Lacey was the first woman and first African American to serve as LA County DA. She was defeated in 2020 by George Gascon amid intense criticism of her refusal to charge officers and her acceptance of police union money.
| Year | Opponent | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Multiple candidates | Won | First woman and first Black LA County DA |
| 2016 | Minimal opposition | Re-elected | Low-profile race |
| 2020 | George Gascon | Lost (46% to 54%) | $2.2M from police unions; Gascon won with $0 from police |
Campaign contributions (2020): Lacey received nearly $2.2 million from law enforcement unions including $1M+ checks from sheriff's deputies union, LAPD officers union, and state corrections officers union. Gascon accepted $0 from police unions. Total race spending: $19.4M ($7M Lacey, $12.4M Gascon). George Soros contributed $1.5M and Reed Hastings (Netflix) contributed $2M+ to Gascon's campaign.
Sources: NBC Los Angeles; The Appeal; LA Times; Ballotpedia
During her entire 8-year tenure, Lacey did not charge a single member of Los Angeles County law enforcement for murder related to an on-duty shooting. This was despite hundreds of officer-involved shootings in the nation's largest local prosecution jurisdiction. Criticism intensified in March 2018 when Lacey refused to charge LAPD officer Clifford Proctor for shooting and killing Brendon Glenn, despite LAPD Chief Charlie Beck himself recommending prosecution.
Maurice Hastings was convicted in 1988 and imprisoned for 38 years for a murder he did not commit. He repeatedly sought DNA testing of a rape kit to prove his innocence. For decades, the LA DA's office — including during Lacey's tenure — resisted these requests. When DNA testing was finally performed in 2022 (after Lacey left office), Hastings was excluded as the perpetrator. The DNA matched convicted sex offender Kenneth Packnett. Hastings was declared factually innocent in 2023 and received a $25 million settlement from the City of Inglewood.
Saldana was wrongfully imprisoned for 33 years. His exoneration came after Lacey left office. The taxpayer settlement totaled $19.1 million.
After Lacey left office in 2020, the successor DA's Conviction Review Unit identified 13+ wrongful convictions from the Lacey era. Combined wrongful imprisonment exceeds 300 years. This pattern — wrongful convictions discovered only after the DA leaves — is consistent across California's worst DAs.
Lacey received nearly $2.2 million from police unions during her 2020 re-election campaign. She rejected calls to refuse police union money, creating a direct financial conflict of interest with her duty to prosecute police misconduct. The unions representing sheriff's deputies, LAPD officers, and corrections officers each contributed $1 million or more to PACs supporting her.
In an extraordinarily rare move, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck recommended Lacey prosecute Officer Clifford Proctor for the fatal shooting of homeless man Brendon Glenn. Lacey refused, becoming one of the only DAs in modern history to reject a police chief's own recommendation to charge one of their officers.
Lacey created a Conviction Review Unit in 2015, which received more than 1,900 wrongful conviction claims. During her tenure, only 3 convictions were vacated through the unit — a rate of less than 0.2% of claims reviewed. The vast majority of Lacey-era exonerations came after she left office.
"I think prosecutor is an honorable job."
When asked about police union contributions, Lacey rejected calls to refuse the money, maintaining it did not influence her decisions — despite zero officers being charged during her entire tenure.
DNA testing blocked for decades. Exonerated 2022. $25M settlement. Detective fabricated evidence and buried alibi.
Cousin of BLM co-founder killed by LAPD taser. Pattern of non-prosecution of officer-involved deaths.
Systemic pattern of deaths in the nation's largest jail system, with minimal DA oversight.
LA County prosecution pattern of pursuing convictions despite evidence of innocence.
Monitor campaign contributions to your DA. Police union money creates conflicts of interest. Check Cal-Access for contribution records.
Maurice Hastings lost 38 years. Daniel Saldana lost 33. Support LA Innocence Project and Neufeld Scheck.
DAs should never be able to block DNA testing. Contact your state legislator to support mandatory testing laws.
Lacey was voted out in 2020 after widespread public engagement. Your vote matters. Research candidates at Ballotpedia.