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Jonathan Hatami
Personal details
Born
Jonathan Amir Hatami

(1969-12-15) December 15, 1969 (age 54)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseRoxanne
Children2
EducationMonterey Peninsula College (AS)
California State University, Northridge (BA)
University of Nebraska (JD)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1989–1996
RankStaff sergeant
UnitInfantry (11B)
Military Police Corps (95B)

Jonathan "Jon" Amir Hatami (born December 15, 1969) is an American prosecutor who is a Deputy District Attorney in the Complex Child Abuse Section in the office of the Los Angeles County District Attorney. Hatami has prosecuted prominent child abuse cases, including the one depicted in the 2020 Netflix documentary The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. On March 29, 2023, Hatami announced his 2024 campaign for Los Angeles County District Attorney in Whittier, California.[1][2] On March 7, 2024, Hatami conceded that he had lost the district attorney's race after placing third in the primary election.[3]

Hatami was born in Manhattan and raised in California. During that time, he was a victim of child abuse. After graduating from high school in 1989, he served in the United States Army for seven years, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. Hatami earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. Hatami later returned to California to practice civil law and joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office under District Attorney Steve Cooley.

Early life and education

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Jonathan Hatami was born on December 15, 1969, in New York City.[4][5] His father was originally from Iran and emigrated to the United States.[4][5] His mother was born in Brooklyn, New York.[4][5] In early life, he suffered child abuse from his father.[4][5][6] Hatami’s father has been described as having screamed at him, called him names, hit him, yanked him by his hair, and smashed him into walls in their apartment.[7]

Hatami’s parents separated and battled for custody of their children.[5][7] His mother was granted temporary custody.[5][7] Fearing that Hatami’s father would flee with the children to Iran, Hatami’s mother kidnapped Hatami and his brother and flew to Florida.[7] His mother left her two children in the custody of a stranger who also abused them.[7] After a month in Florida, Hatami’s mother came back, and the family moved to California.[5][7]

Hatami’s father searched for the two children, contacting the NYPD, FBI, and other groups;[7] Hatami and his brother were listed as missing children in an edition of Ladies’ Home Journal.[5][7] In the early 1980’s, someone recognized Hatami and his brother, leading to a reunion with Hatami’s father.[5][7][8][9]

Hatami graduated from Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, California.[10]

Career

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Military service

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After graduating from high school in 1989, Hatami enlisted in the United States Army as a private.[11][12] He was honorably discharged in 1996.[11][12] Hatami was in the infantry before transferring to the Military Police Corps, eventually attaining the rank of staff sergeant.[11][12] He was largely stationed in South Korea but also served in Panama, Guantanamo Bay, during the 1991 Haitian refugee crisis, and Los Angeles during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[12]

Civil attorney

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After completing his military service, Hatami returned to California and enrolled at the College of the Canyons, where he developed an interest in criminal justice.[13] He transferred to California State University to complete his undergraduate degree.[11][13] Hatami received a full scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska College of Law, graduating with a J.D. degree in 2002.[11][13]

Following graduation, Hatami clerked for Judge Sievers of the Nebraska Court of Appeals for one year.[11][13] He moved back to Los Angeles, California, to practice law as a civil attorney.[12] When Hatami’s firm opened an office in New York, he practiced there for a year, then returned to California to continue his practice.[12]

Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney

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In 2006, after three years of practice as a civil attorney, Hatami applied for an opening in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.[11][14] He began working in East Los Angeles, then El Monte, and then Van Nuys before getting a permanent assignment in the Antelope Valley, Southern California.[11][14] After working in the Antelope Valley, Hatami was transferred to the Complex Child Abuse Unit of the Family Violence Division in the District Attorney’s office in Downtown Los Angeles in 2016.[11][15]

Murder of Gabriel Fernandez

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See also: Murder of Gabriel Fernandez

On May 22, 2013, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, covered in injuries, was rushed to Antelope Valley Hospital, then flown to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.[16][17][18] Two days later, he was declared brain dead and taken off life support.[19] Gabriel’s mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her live-in boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, were arrested and charged with Gabriel’s torture and murder.[20]

In September 2017, the trials of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre commenced, with Hatami and Deputy District Attorney Scott Yang leading the prosecution.[7][21][22] After four months, Isauro Aguirre was found guilty of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of torture and was sentenced to death.[23][24][25] Pearl Fernandez pleaded guilty to all charges and allegations, agreeing to waive all her appellate rights, in exchange for a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.[26][27]

In April 2021, Pearl Fernandez applied to be re-sentenced under California Penal Code Section 1170.95.[26][28][29] Pearl Fernandez’s petition was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli in June 2021.[30][31]

Murder of Anthony Avalos

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See also: Killing of Anthony Avalos

In 2018, two weeks after the sentencing of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre, Hatami received a call from an Antelope Valley Hospital nurse.[5][32] The nurse told Hatami that what happened to Gabriel happened again to another boy.[5][32] 10-year-old Anthony Avalos was found dead in the home of his mother, Heather Barron, and her live-in boyfriend, Kareem Leiva.[5][33][34] Both Barron and Leiva were arrested and charged in the child’s torture and murder.[5][35] Hatami said that "it was just very disappointing, deflating, sad..."[32]

Anthony’s trial commenced in January 2023.[36] On March 7, 2023, Heather Barron and Kareem Leiva were found guilty of the torture and murder of Anthony Avalos.[5][37] Barron and Leiva were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on April 25, 2023. Although originally a death penalty case, Governor Gavin Newsom has implemented a moratorium on capital punishment and District Attorney George Gascón has issued a directive for prosecutors not to seek it.[38][39][40]

Death of Noah Cuatro

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In 2019, four-year-old Noah Cuatro was found dead in his apartment. His parents claimed that he drowned in the pool of his apartment complex.[15][41] Both Noah’s mother, Ursula Juarez, and father, Jose Cuatro, were arrested and charged with their torturing, sexually assaulting, and murdering of a 4-year-old.[15][42] The case is still ongoing.[43][needs update] Hatami is leading the prosecution of Juarez and Cuatro.

State law changes

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See also: Child sexual abuse and Restitution

As a Deputy District Attorney, Hatami helped change state law to provide increased restitution for victims of child sexual abuse in California[12][44][45] through Hatami’s successful prosecution and conviction of Renoir Valenti in 2014.[45][46][47]

California State Senate Bill 756

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In 2014, Renoir Valenti, an Antelope Valley youth soccer coach, was convicted of molesting 15 young boys over a period of 17 years.[46][47] As a result of Valenti’s conviction in 2014, the 15 victims were awarded restitution by the court.[12][44] In 2016, some of the victims were unable to receive restitution from the court due to a loophole in state law that does not allow child victims of sexual assault to receive restitution that would cover mental health services.[12][44][45][48]

Hatami, along with the Los Angeles District Attorney and the Crime Victims Action Alliance, partnered with California State Senator Henry Stern to introduce a bill to change the law.[12][44][45][48] California State Senate Bill 756 received support from law enforcement and district attorneys throughout the state of California.[44] The bill also received unanimous approval from members of both the State Assembly and Senate.[44][45][48] On July 21, 2017, Senate Bill 756 was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown and took effect on January 1, 2018.[44][45][49]

Los Angeles County District Attorney

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On March 29, 2023, Hatami announced his 2024 campaign for Los Angeles County District Attorney in Whittier, California.[1][2] On March 7, 2024, Hatami conceded that he had lost the district attorney's race after placing third in the primary election.[3]

Personal life

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Hatami is married to Roxanne, a sheriff’s detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, whom Hatami met in an Antelope Valley courtroom when Roxanne was a bailiff.[11][10] They have two children and attend Lancaster Baptist Church.[50][51]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Jonathan Hatami announces campaign for 2024 LA district attorney race". March 29, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "LA County Deputy DA Jonathan Hatami announces bid to unseat DA George Gascón". March 29, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "HATAMI CONCEDES IN DA RACE, CONFIRMING GASCÓN TO FACE HOCHMAN IN NOVEMBER". March 7, 2024. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Why Was The Gabriel Fernandez Case So Personal For Prosecutor Jon Hatami?". February 25, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The Short, Unhappy Life Of Anthony Avalos". March 7, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  6. ^ "Prosecutor in Palmdale abuse case was victim of child abuse". November 15, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jonathan Hatami Los Angeles Times Profile". The Los Angeles Times. December 11, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  8. ^ "Jonathan Hatami KABC-TV Profile". KABC-TV. March 15, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  9. ^ "Sheriff kicks off Community Academy". Wehoville. October 14, 2022. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Jonathan Hatami Signal Profile". The Signal. April 2, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Art: Speaker Biographies Spring 2020". Harvard Law. November 25, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jonathan Hatami Opening Statement Podcast Interview". The Opening Statement Podcast. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d "Jonathan Hatami Sheriff Alex Villanueva Radio Interview". IHeart Radio. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Jonathan Hatami Monday Morning Critic Podcast Interview". The Monday Morning Critic Podcast. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c "Palmdale Parents Indicted for Death of 4-Year-Old Son" (PDF). Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "It's A Small Miracle (Part 1)". Thea Eskey. July 7, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  17. ^ "Los Angeles Times Homicide Report". Los Angeles Times. May 24, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  18. ^ "Why did No One Save Gabriel?". Atlantic Magazine. October 2, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  19. ^ "Gabriel Fernandez Time Magazine Profile". Times Magazine. February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  20. ^ "Gabriel Fernandez's mother sentenced to life in prison, boyfriend gets death penalty in Palmdale boy's torture-beating murder". Daily News. June 7, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  21. ^ "Defendant Tortured Gabriel Fernandez to Death Because He Thought Child Was Gay, Prosecutor Alleges". KTLA. October 16, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  22. ^ "Mother's Former Boyfriend Guilty in Torture-Murder of 8-Year-Old Gabriel Fernandez". NBC LA & City News Service. November 14, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  23. ^ "Jury Recommends Death Sentence for Isauro Aguirre for Murder of 8-Year-Old Gabriel Fernandez". KTLA. December 13, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  24. ^ "Gabriel Fernandez Murderer Isauro Aguirre Is Currently Awaiting His Execution Date In Prison". Women’s Health Magazine. March 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  25. ^ "If sentenced to execution, killer of Palmdale boy could spend decades on death row". KABC. December 13, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Woman's bid for re-sentencing denied in 8-year-old son's torture death". Antelope Valley Times. June 1, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  27. ^ "Nothing Short of Evil: Judge Sentences Mother to Life in Prison and Her Boyfriend to Death in Gabriel Fernandez Murder Case". Los Angeles Times. June 7, 2018. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  28. ^ "California Penal Code Section 1170.95". Justia.com. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  29. ^ "Bill Text - SB 1437". California State Legislature. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  30. ^ "Judge Denies Pearl Fernandez's Re-Sentencing Request In Death Of 8-Year-Old Gabriel Fernandez". CBS LA. June 1, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  31. ^ "Judge denies resentencing request of mom who pled guilty to torture-murder of Gabriel Fernandez". KTLA & The Los Angeles Times. June 2, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  32. ^ a b c Jonathan Hatami The Staff Assistant Podcast Interview. The Staff Assistant Podcast. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  33. ^ "The horrific death of Anthony Avalos and the many missed chances to save him". The Los Angeles Times. September 4, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  34. ^ "Lancaster abuse case: Unsealed grand jury transcripts detail horrific torture of Anthony Avalos". KABC-TV. December 5, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  35. ^ "Death Penalty Sought Against Mother, Her Boyfriend in Torture Killing of Anthony Avalos: DA's Office". KTLA5. August 28, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  36. ^ "The Current Report Twitter". The Current Report. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  37. ^ "Mother of Murdered 10-Year-Old Anthony Avalos and Her Boyfriend Found Guilty". March 7, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  38. ^ "Anthony Avalos case: DA George Gascón takes death penalty off table in child torture, murder trial". KABC-TV. May 6, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  39. ^ "'They Should be Punished': Gascón Drops Bid for Death Penalty in 10-Year-Old Anthony Avalos' Killing". CBS Los Angeles. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  40. ^ "Special Directive 20-11" (PDF). George Gascón. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  41. ^ "Noah Cuatro Los Angeles Times Article". The Los Angeles Times. August 19, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  42. ^ "Noah Cuatro Charges Filed". KABC-TV. August 15, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  43. ^ "Cuatro's parents are due back in court. Couple charged with killing four-year-old son will face hearing". Antelope Valley Times. January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  44. ^ a b c d e f g "Senator Henry Stern's Bill to Protect Child Victims of Sexual Violence Signed by Governor Brown". Henry Stern. July 24, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  45. ^ a b c d e f "Local Prosecutor, Senator Stern Discuss Bipartisan Effort To Support Child Sexual Assault Victims". KHTS. July 17, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  46. ^ a b "Renoir Valenti". The AV Times. April 18, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  47. ^ a b "AYSO Coach Convicted of Molesting 15 Children, Faces 154 Years in Prison". KTLA. February 28, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  48. ^ a b c "Stern's bill to help young victims of sexual abuse passes Senate". The Signal. May 14, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  49. ^ "SB 756". California Legislature. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  50. ^ "Jonathan Hatami Lancaster Baptist Church Interview". Meridiem Films. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  51. ^ "Jonathan Hatami Lancaster Baptist Church". Lancaster Baptist Church. March 13, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
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