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Appointment of Steve Katz as Chief Deputy in District Attorney’s Office Draws Praise
By a MetNews Staff Writer
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STEVE KATZ chief deputy-designate
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Reaction among current and former county prosecutors to Los Angeles County District Attorney-elect Nathan Hochman’s naming of a veteran member of the office, Steve Katz, as his chief deputy appears to be positive.
Although Katz was not vocal in opposition to incumbent District Attorney George Gascón—whom Hochman trounced at the polls by more than 20 percentage points, according to the last count—the appointment of him drew praise on the social media account of former Deputy District Attorney Marc Debbaudt.
Comments include these:
Deputy District Attorney and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge-Elect Sharon Ransom: “Great choice! Very happy”;
Deputy District Attorney and one-time candidate for district attorney Danette Meyers: “We can now be proud of our new Chief Deputy. A man we can all respect and admire.”
Former Deputy District Attorney Kathy Cady, now a victims’ rights attorney: “Excellent. Smart. Level headed. Fair. Kind. He’ll be great.”
Deputy District Attorney Dmitry Brodsky: “Steve is one or the nicest people around, friendly, approachable, always willing to help. In 25 years with the office, I have never heard anyone say a bad word about Steve.”
Deputy District Attorney Margaret Moe: Perfect. He will be supportive of and supported by those of us that stayed through the past four years. Also will bring in new lawyers who want to represent the people.”
Former Prosecutor Comments
A former deputy district attorney told the MetNews:
“I’ve known Katz as a colleague and supervisor in the course of my career at the DA’s Office. I think he is an excellent choice for second in command. He has a calm, deliberative manner and his non-confrontational style of management is highly effective. I can see him handling the day-to-day affairs of the office in much the same way as notable predecessors Curt Livesay and Jan Maurizi—he implements the will of the district attorney quietly, definitively, and without drama.
“More importantly, he will have the respect of the troops, unlike his immediate predecessor. Katz’s appointment will provide an assurance to the rank-and-file DDAs that Hochman, while an ‘outsider,’ has their interests and the interests of the office at heart.
“It is also pertinent that the appointment of one of Hochman’s more vocal supporters, while logical, might not have been as widely accepted—they may be hard-charging prosecutors, but that does not always translate to successful and effective management.”
Ex-Deputy Public Defenders
The former prosecutor directed remarks to the deputy public defender Gascón transferred into his office, including the controversial Tiffiny Blacknell, who is serving as his chief deputy, saying:
“Katz understands the workings of the office far better than any of the more vocal anti-Gascon candidates; a skill set he will need use swiftly to deal with the insurgent or embedded radical public defenders who may not be quite so easy to remove as one might think. I am told few are welcome back at the PD’s Office—especially Blacknell.”
The commentator added:
“Hochman clearly had Katz in mind for the position for some time—the choice of Number 2 should not be made lightly—unless you care nothing of the mission of the office and its deputies as Gascon demonstrated from day one of his miserable administration.
“While Katz may not have been a visible or vocal supporter on the campaign trail, I suspect Katz has long provided Hochman with valuable insight as to the operation of the Nations’ largest prosecutorial agency and the strategies that will be needed to restore and rebuild the office. I look forward to the day when I can again proudly say I was a Los Angeles County DDA, as Gascon diminished the brand immeasurably.”
The appointment was announced in a press release on Monday. It noted that Katz joined the District Attorney’s Office in 1990, has handled 83 jury trials, and has been a head deputy since 2013, leading the Parole Division, Writs and Appeals Division, the Airport Branch and the Public Integrity Division.
His law degree is from UCLA.
Hochman commented:
“I have known Steve Katz for over 40 years and can unequivocally attest to his exceptional character and integrity. He has repeatedly demonstrated that he has the intellect, experience, dedication, judgment and leadership skills to be an outstanding chief deputy.
“Mr. Katz shares my unwavering commitment to criminal justice, public safety, victims’ rights and the continuing need for systemic reform, and I am proud and excited to make him an integral part of my administration.”
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