Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
00:00 Nathan Hochman on Fraud, Menendez, and the Nick Reiner Case
00:56 Welcome to Crazy Amazing Humans EP 56
01:06 Meet LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman
01:38 The Scale of the LA County DA’s Office
02:14 Nathan Hochman’s 35 Year Legal Career
03:04 What Does the Los Angeles County District Attorney Actually Do?
04:00 Why LA County Is the Largest Local Prosecuting Office in America
04:37 The “Hard Middle” Approach to Crime and Justice
05:00 Hochman’s Six Priority Areas for LA County
05:15 Wildfire Crimes, Looting, Fraud, and Protest Related Crimes
06:25 LA Protests, Media Narratives, and What Really Happened
07:04 Was Los Angeles Really Out of Control?
08:21 How the ICE Protests Escalated in Downtown LA
09:30 Law Enforcement Response and Federal Troops in Los Angeles
11:23 Why the Menendez Resentencing Case Was So Complicated
13:08 The 16 Lies Hochman Says Matter in the Menendez Case
14:45 Why the DA Opposed Menendez Resentencing
15:22 Youthful Offender Parole Explained
16:16 Why the Menendez Brothers Received a Parole Hearing
16:59 The Nick Reiner Case and Mental Health Questions
17:42 First Degree Murder, Special Circumstances, and the Death Penalty
18:50 How Prosecutors Evaluate a Defendant’s State of Mind
19:52 Mental Competency, Insanity Pleas, and Criminal Responsibility
21:12 Premeditation, Evidence, and What Prosecutors Look For
22:35 What Happens Before, During, and After a Murder
23:12 Mental Illness, Nuance, and Justice
23:48 Wrongful Convictions and the Maurice Hastings Question
24:17 Hochman’s Conviction Review Unit and Factual Innocence
25:00 A Wrongful Conviction Case Involving Two Former Gang Members
29:42 How the “Hard Middle” Works Case by Case
30:28 Equal Justice for the Poor and the Powerful
33:00 Probable Cause vs Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
35:13 The 10,000 Case Backlog and a $25 Million Budget Cut
35:54 How Hochman Is Rebuilding Morale Inside the DA’s Office
39:53 Getting to Know Nathan Hochman: Beach, Burgers, and LA Favorites
41:53 Homelessness in Los Angeles County
43:47 The HOST Team and Homeless Outreach Services
44:41 The Five Step Process for Clearing Homeless Encampments Humanely
46:04 Why the HOST Team Is Effective and Underfunded
47:25 Why LA County Jails Became the Largest Mental Health Facility
49:28 What Our Jails Say About Our Civilization
50:12 Santa Monica, Homelessness, and Public Safety
51:13 What Changed on the Third Street Promenade
52:15 What Santa Monica Can Do Differently
53:02 Why Hochman Says the Juvenile Justice System Is Broken
55:52 Why Information Is Power for LA Voters
58:47 The LA County DA Foundation
59:16 Project LEAD and Teaching Fifth Graders About Justice
01:00:10 Prison Rehabilitation, Reentry, and The Last Mile
01:02:40 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and the Power of Remembrance
01:04:10 How to Support the LA District Attorney Foundation
01:07:25 Finding Justice Even When a Case Is Lost
01:07:45 The American Wheelchair Mission and the Hochman Family
01:10:52 Wheelchair Missions in South Africa, Vietnam, Ecuador, and West Virginia
01:11:25 How People Can Help Build Safer Communities
01:13:16 What Comes Next for Nathan Hochman
01:14:35 Hochman on His Wife Vivienne and Family Support
01:16:19 Thank You to Nathan Hochman and His Family
01:16:36 Nathan Hochman on Joining the Crazy Amazing Humans Family
What is really happening inside the Los Angeles justice system?
In this powerful episode we go behind-the-scenes with Nathan Hochman, the current District Attorney of Los Angeles County, for a candid conversation about crime, justice, public safety, and the real challenges facing Los Angeles today.
As the elected DA of Los Angeles County, Hochman leads the largest local prosecuting office in the United States, serving nearly 10 million people across 88 cities. His office handles more than 180,000 criminal cases a year.
In this episode, we explore:
• What the Los Angeles District Attorney actually does
• How the DA’s office approaches public safety and accountability
• The “hard middle” philosophy and why it matters now more than ever
• The realities behind high-profile cases, including the Menendez and Nick Reiner cases
• Homelessness, mental health, and crime in Los Angeles
• Protest-related crimes, wildfire-related crimes, and public trust
• The pressure of leading a system with limited resources and massive responsibility
Nathan also shares the human side of the job, including the weight of making decisions that impact millions of lives, the importance of getting justice right, and what it means to protect victims while preserving due process.
We explore Nathan’s life and service outside the courtroom, from founding the LA County DA Foundation to his family’s global work with the American Wheelchair Mission, delivering mobility and dignity to those in need. He also shares the role his wife and children play in grounding his work and why service begins with one simple question: how can I help someone a little more today?
00:00 Nathan Hochman on Fraud, Menendez, and the Nick Reiner Case
00:56 Welcome to Crazy Amazing Humans EP 56
01:06 Meet LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman
01:38 The Scale of the LA County DA’s Office
02:14 Nathan Hochman’s 35 Year Legal Career
03:04 What Does the Los Angeles County District Attorney Actually Do?
04:00 Why LA County Is the Largest Local Prosecuting Office in America
04:37 The “Hard Middle” Approach to Crime and Justice
05:00 Hochman’s Six Priority Areas for LA County
05:15 Wildfire Crimes, Looting, Fraud, and Protest Related Crimes
06:25 LA Protests, Media Narratives, and What Really Happened
07:04 Was Los Angeles Really Out of Control?
08:21 How the ICE Protests Escalated in Downtown LA
09:30 Law Enforcement Response and Federal Troops in Los Angeles
11:23 Why the Menendez Resentencing Case Was So Complicated
13:08 The 16 Lies Hochman Says Matter in the Menendez Case
14:45 Why the DA Opposed Menendez Resentencing
15:22 Youthful Offender Parole Explained
16:16 Why the Menendez Brothers Received a Parole Hearing
16:59 The Nick Reiner Case and Mental Health Questions
17:42 First Degree Murder, Special Circumstances, and the Death Penalty
18:50 How Prosecutors Evaluate a Defendant’s State of Mind
19:52 Mental Competency, Insanity Pleas, and Criminal Responsibility
21:12 Premeditation, Evidence, and What Prosecutors Look For
22:35 What Happens Before, During, and After a Murder
23:12 Mental Illness, Nuance, and Justice
23:48 Wrongful Convictions and the Maurice Hastings Question
24:17 Hochman’s Conviction Review Unit and Factual Innocence
25:00 A Wrongful Conviction Case Involving Two Former Gang Members
29:42 How the “Hard Middle” Works Case by Case
30:28 Equal Justice for the Poor and the Powerful
33:00 Probable Cause vs Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
35:13 The 10,000 Case Backlog and a $25 Million Budget Cut
35:54 How Hochman Is Rebuilding Morale Inside the DA’s Office
39:53 Getting to Know Nathan Hochman: Beach, Burgers, and LA Favorites
41:53 Homelessness in Los Angeles County
43:47 The HOST Team and Homeless Outreach Services
44:41 The Five Step Process for Clearing Homeless Encampments Humanely
46:04 Why the HOST Team Is Effective and Underfunded
47:25 Why LA County Jails Became the Largest Mental Health Facility
49:28 What Our Jails Say About Our Civilization
50:12 Santa Monica, Homelessness, and Public Safety
51:13 What Changed on the Third Street Promenade
52:15 What Santa Monica Can Do Differently
53:02 Why Hochman Says the Juvenile Justice System Is Broken
55:52 Why Information Is Power for LA Voters
58:47 The LA County DA Foundation
59:16 Project LEAD and Teaching Fifth Graders About Justice
01:00:10 Prison Rehabilitation, Reentry, and The Last Mile
01:02:40 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and the Power of Remembrance
01:04:10 How to Support the LA District Attorney Foundation
01:07:25 Finding Justice Even When a Case Is Lost
01:07:45 The American Wheelchair Mission and the Hochman Family
01:10:52 Wheelchair Missions in South Africa, Vietnam, Ecuador, and West Virginia
01:11:25 How People Can Help Build Safer Communities
01:13:16 What Comes Next for Nathan Hochman
01:14:35 Hochman on His Wife Vivienne and Family Support
01:16:19 Thank You to Nathan Hochman and His Family
01:16:36 Nathan Hochman on Joining the Crazy Amazing Humans Family
What is really happening inside the Los Angeles justice system?
In this powerful episode we go behind-the-scenes with Nathan Hochman, the current District Attorney of Los Angeles County, for a candid conversation about crime, justice, public safety, and the real challenges facing Los Angeles today.
As the elected DA of Los Angeles County, Hochman leads the largest local prosecuting office in the United States, serving nearly 10 million people across 88 cities. His office handles more than 180,000 criminal cases a year.
In this episode, we explore:
• What the Los Angeles District Attorney actually does
• How the DA’s office approaches public safety and accountability
• The “hard middle” philosophy and why it matters now more than ever
• The realities behind high-profile cases, including the Menendez and Nick Reiner cases
• Homelessness, mental health, and crime in Los Angeles
• Protest-related crimes, wildfire-related crimes, and public trust
• The pressure of leading a system with limited resources and massive responsibility
Nathan also shares the human side of the job, including the weight of making decisions that impact millions of lives, the importance of getting justice right, and what it means to protect victims while preserving due process.
We explore Nathan’s life and service outside the courtroom, from founding the LA County DA Foundation to his family’s global work with the American Wheelchair Mission, delivering mobility and dignity to those in need. He also shares the role his wife and children play in grounding his work and why service begins with one simple question: how can I help someone a little more today?
