LOS ANGELES—District Attorney George Gascón is set to testify next month in a pretrial deposition regarding a lawsuit filed by veteran prosecutor John Lewin. Lewin alleges that he was demoted from a prestigious position for speaking out against Gascón’s sentencing recommendation directives.
Previously, Lewin’s legal team had filed court papers claiming that Gascón was delaying agreeing to a deposition date. However, it has now been resolved, and Gascón will be deposed on Oct. 9 and potentially again on Oct. 31.
In his lawsuit filed in February 2023, Lewin claims he was wrongfully transferred from the Cold Case Unit of the Major Crimes Division to a position handling daily cases at the Inglewood courthouse due to his criticisms of Gascón’s sentencing directives.
Lewin’s attorneys argue that Gascón should be deposed due to his direct involvement in implementing the directives and the retaliatory transfer of Lewin. They believe Gascón has crucial information that is essential to the case.
Lewin, who received the Ken Lamb Distinguished Achievement Award in 2021, refused to appear in a photo with Gascón, as he felt it would be seen as endorsing Gascón’s policies. Lewin was also known for his role as the lead prosecutor in the trial of Robert Durst.
Durst, a New York real estate heir convicted of first-degree murder, passed away in January 2022 while serving a life sentence without parole.
