The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office reduced charges against Officer Daniel Flores from 16 felonies to misdemeanors following public backlash over his prosecution. Flores had secretly recorded fellow officers in the LAPD’s recruitment division making racist and sexist comments, then reported the recordings to internal affairs in early 2025.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman initially charged Flores in July under a California eavesdropping statute that prohibits secret recordings without consent from all parties involved. The felony charges carried a potential prison sentence of up to 13 years. However, the decision to prosecute Flores drew swift criticism from civil rights advocates and his defense attorney, who argued the charges sent a chilling message to potential whistleblowers within law enforcement.
Hochman announced Wednesday that prosecutors would downgrade the charges to misdemeanors, allowing Flores to enter a diversion agreement. Under this arrangement, Flores can avoid jail time if he remains in compliance with the law for one year. Hochman acknowledged that the initial charges had “sent the wrong message” to the public and stated his office was “listening to the impact the case was having on potential whistleblowers” when making the decision.
The recordings contained numerous offensive remarks by other officers, including racist jokes about a Latino baseball player, derogatory comments about Black people, and inappropriate sexual comments directed at a recruit. While Hochman condemned these remarks as “hate speech,” he maintained there was insufficient evidence to bring hate crime charges against the officers who made them. An internal LAPD investigation found Flores guilty of breaking departmental rules and imposed a 22-day suspension without pay.
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