Los Angeles residents deserve a justice system built on evidence and transparency — not intimidation or negotiation tactics. When serious charges are added to a case without any new investigation or police reports, the integrity of our courts is at risk.

Why This Matters

In a recent Los Angeles County case, prosecutors added new charges on two separate occasions — both times without any new police reports, calls for service, or follow-up investigations. This kind of charge stacking gives the appearance that cases are being expanded to pressure defendants into plea deals instead of pursuing the truth through evidence.

The public has a right to know when and why additional charges are filed. Every count in a criminal case should be supported by a credible, documented investigation, not by tactics designed to secure a conviction through fear of the worst possible outcome.

"Charge Stacking: The practice of a prosecutor filing multiple overlapping or exaggerated charges for the same alleged conduct; technically lawful, but often used to inflate potential sentences and pressure defendants into unfavorable plea deals rather than risk trial."

We are calling on the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to:

1.  Publicly disclose the criteria and procedures used when adding new charges to an existing case.
   
   
2.  Commit to filing charges only after a documented investigation and review of evidence.
   
   
3.  Establish an independent oversight process to review cases in which charges are expanded without new investigative findings.

Justice should never depend on strategy or leverage. It should rely on facts, fairness, and transparency.

Recent studies show how deeply this problem runs:

According to Pew Research Center, less than 2% of federal criminal defendants ever go to trial; nearly 90% plead guilty. State-level data show similar patterns: the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that roughly 94% of felony convictions nationwide come from plea bargains, not verdicts. The Vera Institute of Justice found that sentences imposed after trial average 64% longer than those reached through plea agreements —a clear sign that defendants risk much harsher punishment simply for exercising their constitutional rights.

Call To Action

Please sign this petition to ask the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office to uphold its duty to pursue justice, not intimidation. Together, we can help ensure that every case in Los Angeles is based on evidence, not fear.