Alan Jackson
Every prosecutor’s office is driven by the dedicated, vigilant work of its deputy or assistant district attorneys. These public servants are on the front lines, spending most days in front of a judge and jury to ensure justice is served and criminals are removed from our streets and communities. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (LADA’s office) is home to a multitude of the most well-respected, hard-working prosecutors in the country, including Alan Jackson, deputy district attorney in the Major Crimes Division.
As a member of the Major Crimes Division, Alan Jackson is responsible for handling high-profile and extraordinarily complex cases. Jackson is a seasoned prosecutor who thrives on arguing cases in court. After receiving his J.D., he worked with a small firm doing civil legal work, but his experience in private practice only fueled his desire to work as a prosecutor.
“I belong in the courtroom and the best place to secure trial skills is in the DA’s office because you’re in court all of the time,” he said.
His colleagues would agree that Jackson’s home is in a courtroom. “Alan’s level of dedication to the job in terms of the work he puts in and hours he spends on his cases is unmatched by any prosecutor. His performance in court is nothing short of outstanding. I have tremendous respect for him,” said friend and former colleague Judge Doug Sortino.
Even his defense bar opponents can testify to Jackson’s dedication to prosecution. John Tyre served as the defense counsel on one of Jackson’s cases (People v. Chester Turner) in which a defendant was charged with raping and killing at least 11 women. Tyre greatly respects Jackson’s work ethic: “He lives for his job and believes very strongly in his support of the prosecution of those he believes are responsible. Tenacious is a good word to describe him.”
The Major Crimes Division allows Jackson the opportunity to practice his trial skills in some of the most complicated and famous cases in the country. For example, Jackson was the lead prosecutor in the murder trial of Micheal Goodwin, who was convicted of killing racing legend Mickey Thompson and his wife, Trudy. (See The People v. Michael Goodwin.) More recently, he served as the lead prosecutor in the murder trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector. Not only was the Spector case high profile because of the celebrity of the defendant, but the trial also aired on Court TV—an experience few prosecutors are offered in their careers.
Jackson said that his experience on Court TV was difficult yet valuable. It was difficult in the sense that everything he did was scrutinized by legal authorities across the country. “The media coverage of Alan Jackson was interesting,” said LA Times reporter Peter Hong who covered the Spector trial. “He was portrayed as a young up-and-comer in the prosecutorial community, but I tried not to characterize him as such because, in reality, he is an experienced, seasoned prosecutor.”
Trying a case on national television also results in unpredictability in the courtroom. “If you’re going to try a case in front of cameras, be prepared for anything,” Jackson explained. He described a setting in which a camera can make the players in a courtroom act differently. The security that seasoned lawyers have in knowing that they can anticipate every part of a trial does not exist when that trial is televised. “When you put cameras in a courtroom, all the rules go out the window.” Despite the difficulties, he said that his experience was enlightening. “I’m there to do a job, not for entertainment. We shouldn’t fight against the idea of trying a case on TV because ultimately, when we are in that courtroom, we represent the interests of the public. We have nothing to hide and people should see how we’re doing our jobs,” he said.
Jackson encourages public awareness of the function of prosecutors and claims that prosecutors throughout the country should encourage the same, which led to a discussion of prosecutorial ethics. “Prosecutors serve at the pleasure of the public and represent the best interests of the people in our communities,” he said. “If I do my job correctly, I never have to question ethics. The rules are very clear—prosecutors are expected to perform their duties to the highest standards of ethics in any form of jurisprudence. It makes the job easy.”
Jackson did not begin his legal career prosecuting these high-profile cases. Like most prosecutors, he began his career by trying misdemeanors and juvenile crimes. Interestingly, Jackson joined the LADA’s office in 1995 during the O.J. Simpson trial—a career premonition of sorts. Later in the 1990s he was assigned to the Hardcore Gang Division of the LADA’s office, prosecuting hardcore gang members. His cases were almost exclusively murder cases during his time in the gang division. The most significant gang case he prosecuted involved the slaying of three individuals in two incidents over the course of three years. Jackson prosecuted gang member Johnny Espinoza who, along with his associates, maliciously shot to death a three-year-old girl and the 14-year-old boy who was trying to protect her while they were seated in a car. The targets were rival gang members who survived the incident. Fifty shots were fired into the car. Two years later, Espinoza single-handedly killed an 18-year-old boy by shooting him in the back of the head. Espinoza now resides at San Quentin on California’s death row. Jackson spent more than five years in the Hardcore Gang Division before being promoted to the Major Crimes Division in 2004.
Prosecuting complicated cases leaves little room for leisure, but Jackson tries to find time to relax. For pleasure, he enjoys flying. As a boy, he was fascinated by anything with wings or wheels and he got his pilot’s license in the late ’90s. He has been flying ever since. “Flying absolutely clears my mind of everything else. It is almost cathartic because you can’t think about anything else,” he said.
Jackson’s enthusiasm about his work is inspiring. “Being a prosecutor is more than a career—it’s a lifestyle. You know you’re an integral part of the system that is protecting the communities in which we live and society as a whole,” he explained. He encourages new lawyers to explore a career in prosecution. For those who might hesitate to follow such a career path because of the civil servant’s salary, Jackson offers the following advice: “Follow your heart, not your wallet.”
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