Jackie Lacey | |
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42nd Los Angeles District Attorney | |
Assumed office December 3, 2012 |
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Preceded by | Steve Cooley |
Personal details | |
Born |
Los Angeles, California |
February 27, 1957
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | David Lacey |
Children | 2 |
Residence | Granada Hills, Los Angeles |
Alma mater |
University of California, Irvine USC Gould School of Law |
Website | Official website |
Jackie Lacey (born February 27, 1957) is an American politician who has served as the District Attorney of Los Angeles County since December 3, 2012. Lacey is the first woman, and first African-American, to serve as LA District Attorney since the office was created in 1850.
Lacey was born in Los Angeles and raised in the Crenshaw neighborhood. Her father, Louis Phillips, was a City of Los Angeles Lot Cleaning employee, and her mother, Addie Phillips, was a garment factory worker. Lacey attended Dorsey High School, graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a degree in psychology in 1979, and graduated from the University of Southern California Law School in 1982.
Lacey joined the District Attorney's Office in 1986 as a deputy district attorney. Lacey prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases while serving as a deputy district attorney, including a successful prosecution of the first race-based hate crime murder in the United States. Lacey continued to move up through the ranks, taking on management and executive roles in the office in 2000. In 2011, she was named Chief Deputy District Attorney – second-in-command to the District Attorney.
In June 2011, Lacey announced her candidacy for District Attorney, hoping to succeed retiring incumbent Steve Cooley. In the June 2012 election, in what was considered a major upset, Lacey and criminal prosecutor Alan Jackson defeated City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, who was considered the favorite. Lacey and Jackson advanced to a November 2012 runoff election, which Lacey won with 55% of the vote.
Lacey was sworn in as District Attorney on December 3, 2012 by outgoing attorney Steve Cooley, in a ceremony attended by former district attorneys Gil Garcetti, Robert Philibosian, and John Van de Kamp.