LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and the head of his major crimes division are seeking dismissal of defamation allegations from a lawyer who alleges in a lawsuit that she was demoted for her support of former top prosecutor George Gascon’s reform policies and also due to her race, age, and gender.
Former Deputy District Attorney Tiffiny Blacknell, who is black, filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the county, the District Attorney’s Office, Hochman and Major Crimes head Deputy District Attorney John Lewin. Hochman and Lewin both contend that any comments they made were protected statements of opinion.
