Family members of RFK endorse Los Angeles DA challenger

LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Two children of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy endorsed former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Nathan Hochman in a news conference Tuesday.

Hochman is challenging incumbent George Gascon, whose policy of prohibiting prosecutors from attending parole hearings for inmates serving life terms, helped allow their father's assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, to be found eligible for parole in 2022.

California Governor Gavin Newsom later intervened and reversed the decision.

"On June 6th, 1968, our nation lost one of its greatest voices for justice. Senator and former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was murdered that night by Sirhan Sirhan here in Los Angeles in the Ambassador Hotel after winning the California presidential primary during the 1968 presidential race. Sirhan Sirhan then went through the justice system. He was convicted - he was actually sentenced to death. Then several years later, the Supreme Court reversed the death penalty and he was given a sentence of life without parole because the sentence of life without parole didn't exist at that time.

Starting in the 1980s for the next forty years, spanning six different District Attorney's from Los Angeles County - they would span from Democrats to Republicans - Sirhan Sirhan was up for parole 15 times.

But on the 16th time, George Gascon was the District Attorney, and George Gascon decided not to send a prosecutor with the family. The family of the Robert F. Kennedy to that parole hearing. And what the prosecutor gets to do - which is unlike anything that the victim's family gets to do - is not only support them but get access to the prison packet. And that's the packet that the parole board will actually review to see whether or not someone is eligible and qualifies for parole. Without the prosecutor there that time, they did not have access to the prison packet, and a two-member parole board decided, several years ago, to grant parole for Sirhan Sirhan on his 16th time, when George Gascon was the District Attorney. Fortunately, the Governor, Gavin Newsom, reversed that grant of parole, and Sirhan Sirhan remains in prison, and his last parole opportunity was also denied.

We are doing this press conference in front of the Hall of Justice, in front of George Gascon's office, where he makes the decision not to send prosecutors to parole hearings. In order for him to hear loud and clear how erroneous, how harmful, how dangerous that policy is, and why it needs to stop. And since he has chosen not to stop that policy himself, we're going to have to stop it for him by voting him out of office, bringing myself into office, and having that policy reversed...on day one."

Nathan Hochman, Former U.S. Assistant Attorney General

"The most basic job of government, is to protect the people who live under its ruling. And they have - and this guy has utterly failed to protect the people of Los Angeles. We're standing here with some of the most beautiful people in the world, each of - each of these mothers has lost a child, and they have to go and face the court system alone, without the support of the District Attorney, without the government on their side. And that is dead wrong. We need to stop that in Los Angeles, we need a new voice, a new face. We have Nathan Hochman here who cares about the people who wants to put the criminals in jail and keep them in jail, and he cares deeply about all of us and everyone here, and that is why we need him in the District Attorney's Office."

Max Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's son

"Gascon prohibits his prosecutors from filing charges they believe are appropriate. He boycotts parole hearings, and leaves grieving victims to fend for themselves. A lot has been written about Gascon's questionable policies. My family and I have lived through them. Gascon has shown time and again that he has more empathy for criminals than he does for their victims. I will be voting for Nathan Hochman for District Attorney, and I encourage all residents of Los Angeles County to do the same."

Rory Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's daughter