News Releases

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today the creation of the office’s first-ever Women’s Advisory Board, the seventh advisory board established to foster open dialogue and build more inclusive, trusted, and secure relationships with communities across the county.

“Women encounter specific and deeply rooted challenges in our justice system—as victims, survivors, and sometimes as individuals navigating the justice system themselves,” District Attorney Gascón said. “From domestic violence and sexual assault to human trafficking and systemic inequities, women are often forced to make difficult choices for survival—choices that, at times, have even become criminalized. At a time when women’s rights are under attack nationally, this board strengthens our commitment to these critical issues by drawing on the insights of those who live and understand them. Together, we aim to create solutions that protect, uplift, and empower women, building safer, more resilient communities for all.”

The Women’s Advisory Board was sworn in on Oct. 24 at the Hall of Justice. Members will convene regularly to advise on pressing issues, ensuring that gender equity consistently informs the office's strategies. This board represents a dedicated step toward policies that reflect the diverse needs of our communities, prioritizing resilience, equity, and safer futures for everyone.

The Women’s Advisory Board members include:

• Priscilla Ocen is a Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, where she teaches criminal procedure, reproductive justice, and a seminar on race, gender, and the law. She has served as a special assistant attorney general for the California Department of Justice. In that capacity, Professor Ocen advised Attorney General Rob Bonta on issues related to reform of the criminal legal system. In 2023, She was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as a member of the California Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code.
• Wendelyn Julien, J.D. is the Executive Director of the County’s Probation Oversight Commission, a role she was selected for by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2021. She oversees the nine-person citizen commission and team of staff who are tasked with guiding and enforcing much needed reform and culture change in the nation’s largest probation department in alignment with the Board of Supervisors’ vision of “Care First, Jails Last.”
• Kathy Evans has been a dedicated government employee for the County for over 35 years. As a survivor of childhood sexual assault, Kathy tirelessly advocates for other sexual assault and sexual violence survivors. She has partnered with organizations such as Cry Heard, REACH for Mental Health, Standing 4 Black Girls, and several other advocacy groups.
• Diana Paola Hernandez is a Special Education Attorney, supporting primarily Spanish-speaking families and children with disabilities in Los Angeles County. Diana is also committed to helping parents and students advocate for access to education. She draws inspiration from her upbringing as a first-generation immigrant, impacted by growing up in over-policed, high-crime areas.
• Susan Hess, MSW, LCSW is an Associate Teaching Professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She is a transnational speaker specializing in trauma-informed care and healing-centered engagement. Hess is also a faculty advisor to the newly established Jewish Student Affinity Group. She is the co-founder of Trauma Informed LA, an organization dedicated to fostering resilient communities that promote healing and well-being through collaboration, education, and community engagement.
• Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, J.D., an attorney, equity advocate, and mother, was elected to Culver City Council in 2020, serving as Vice Mayor before becoming the city's first Black woman Mayor in 2023. Mayor McMorrin also serves as the Director of Education Equity at the Children’s Defense Fund CA, working to advance education equity across state, county, and local levels.
• Linda McFarlane is the Executive Director and Board Secretary of Just Detention International (JDI). Linda manages all of JDI’s work, in the U.S. and internationally, and serves as the organization’s primary spokesperson. A licensed social worker, Linda has more than 30 years of experience working with survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. Prior to joining JDI, Linda worked in rape crisis programs, foster care, and detention centers for girls with mental illness.
• Tianna N. Gammage, a Los Angeles native, discovered her passion for criminal justice at age 12 due to her father's struggles with incarceration, and lack of access to grief counseling and drug rehabilitation. Influenced by her mother, a daycare owner, and her grandmother, a special education teacher, Tianna developed a deep empathy for children, especially those less fortunate or developmentally disabled. She has spent the past decade working with at-risk youth and young adults.
• Jorja Leap, Dr. has been a member of the Social Welfare Department faculty at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs since 1992 and serves as the executive director of the UCLA Social Justice Research Partnership. As an anthropologist and recognized expert in gangs, violence, and systems change, she develops, coordinates and directs scholarly efforts that involve research, evaluation and policy recommendations at the local, state, national and global level. Most recently, Dr. Leap served as the lead researcher for the White House Community Violence Intervention Collaborative.
• Norma Cumpian is the Assistant Deputy Director of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), joining as a life coach in 2016 after years in criminal justice reform. A former life prisoner, she brings firsthand reentry experience and was granted an unconditional pardon by Governor Brown in 2019. In 2020, she was appointed to the Board of State and Community Corrections by Governor Newsom. Norma is a compassionate advocate for those reentering society.

Learn more about each of the LADA Women’s Advisory Board members here.