Jackie Lacey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jackie Lacey
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| 42nd District Attorney of Los Angeles County | |
| In office December 3, 2012 – December 7, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Steve Cooley |
| Succeeded by | George Gascón |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jacquelyn Phillips
February 27, 1957 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
David Lacey
(m. 1980; died 2022) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of California, Irvine (BA) University of Southern California (JD) |
Jacquelyn Phillips Lacey (born February 27, 1957) is an American politician who served as the top lawyer for Los Angeles County from December 3, 2012, to December 7, 2020. This important job is called the District Attorney of Los Angeles County. Jackie Lacey made history as the first woman and the first African-American person to hold this position since it was created in 1850.
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Early Life and Education
Jackie Lacey was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in the Crenshaw area of the city. Her father, Louis Phillips, worked for the City of Los Angeles. Her mother, Addie Phillips, worked in a clothing factory.
Lacey attended Dorsey High School. She then went to the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a degree in psychology in 1979. Later, she studied law at the University of Southern California Law School, graduating in 1982.
Professional Career
Jackie Lacey started working in the District Attorney's Office in 1986. She was a deputy district attorney, which means she worked on many different criminal cases. She successfully handled hundreds of cases, including a very important one involving a serious crime motivated by hate.
Over the years, Jackie Lacey moved up in her career. She took on leadership roles in the office starting in 2000. By 2011, she became the Chief Deputy District Attorney. This made her the second-in-command, right below the main District Attorney.
Los Angeles County District Attorney
As the District Attorney for Los Angeles County, Jackie Lacey was known for being strict on crime. During her campaign for re-election in 2020, her approach was compared to others who wanted to make big changes to the justice system. She believed in keeping people in prison for serious crimes.
Becoming District Attorney in 2012
In June 2011, Jackie Lacey announced she wanted to become the District Attorney. The person holding the job at the time, Steve Cooley, was retiring. In the election held in June 2012, Jackie Lacey and another lawyer named Alan Jackson surprised many by winning against Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, who was expected to win.
Because no one won more than half the votes, Lacey and Jackson went on to a second election in November 2012. Jackie Lacey won this election with 55% of the votes.
She officially became the District Attorney on December 3, 2012. The ceremony was attended by many important people, including past district attorneys.
Improving Safety and Protecting the Environment
In 2014, Jackie Lacey started a new program to better investigate accidents at workplaces and crimes that harm the environment. This program helped her office build stronger cases against those who broke safety and environmental laws. A special team was created with over a dozen members. They would go to accident sites right away if there were deaths, injuries, or threats to the environment.
New Programs to Help People
Jackie Lacey also started programs to help people in different ways:
- Mental Health Support: In 2014, she created a program to help people with mental health challenges who committed minor crimes. Instead of going to jail, they could get treatment. If they completed the treatment, their charges could be removed from their records. This helped reduce crowded jails and offered support to those who needed it. In 2019, she launched the first mental health division in a District Attorney's office in California, and possibly the United States. This division helps people with mental illnesses get treatment and other services instead of being stuck in the justice system.
- Protecting Seniors from Scams: In 2014, she worked with the Rotary Club of Los Angeles to fight against scams that target older people. Volunteers visited senior centers and nursing homes to teach seniors how to spot and avoid scams. Her office also sent out regular "Fraud Alerts" to warn the public about common tricks, like fake medicine scams.
- Reviewing Past Cases: In 2015, Jackie Lacey created the Conviction Review Unit. This team looks into cases where new evidence suggests someone might have been wrongly convicted of a serious crime. If new evidence appears, they investigate the case again to make sure justice was served.
- Fighting Immigration Scams: In 2017, she launched the Notario Fraud Unit. This unit works to stop people who pretend to be lawyers or government workers to trick immigrants with false promises about legal documents.
Clearing Old Records
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She also worked with the City Attorney and the police chief to clear over 300,000 old tickets and warrants for minor offenses, especially for people experiencing homelessness. This plan, called the Fugitive Misdemeanant Recovery Program, allowed police to focus on more serious crimes.
2020 Re-election Campaign
In June 2020, during a time of increased focus on criminal justice reform, Jackie Lacey ran for re-election. Some politicians, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Congressman Adam Schiff, changed their support from Lacey to her opponent, George Gascón. Lacey lost the election to Gascón, who became the new District Attorney.
Personal Life
Jackie Lacey lived in the Granada Hills neighborhood with her husband, David Lacey, until his passing in 2022. They had two adult children named Kareem and April.
In March 2020, when some people came to their home to protest, her husband David had an incident involving a firearm. He was later charged, but the charges were dropped after he completed a special program.
