Garcetti Enters Race for D.A. : Politics: The former chief deputy to Ira Reiner calls his boss a self-serving publicity seeker who has aggravated racial tensions. He promises to reduce plea bargaining involving violent crimes.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Gilbert Garcetti, former chief deputy to Los Angeles Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner, on Monday formally entered the race to unseat his boss, calling the eight-year incumbent a self-serving publicity seeker.

At a news conference in front of the Criminal Courts Building downtown, Garcetti, a 23-year prosecutor, accused Reiner of abusing his office for personal gain and of aggravating racial tensions with “shoot-from-the-lip” statements.

“He has placed personal publicity first and prosecution of criminals last,” said Garcetti, 50, who criticized Reiner’s recent attack on Superior Court Judge Joyce A. Karlin for her decision to sentence a Korean-born grocer to probation for killing a 15-year-old black girl.

Garcetti said that although he, too, strongly disagreed with the sentence, he would have reacted differently than Reiner. The district attorney first announced that he would instruct his prosecutors not to try cases before Karlin, but then relented, saying his office would decide on a case-by-case basis.

“Why didn’t Ira Reiner look to see why in the world we have a system that permits such a young, inexperienced judge in the first place to have been given such a case?” Garcetti asked, adding that Reiner’s comments unnecessarily embarrassed the judge and helped polarize an already divided community.

“He has to be replaced by a professional,” Garcetti said.

Reiner campaign officials said they had no comment on Garcetti’s announcement that he will challenge the district attorney in the June primary election.

Garcetti, a Brentwood resident who for two years has headed the district attorney’s Torrance office, is known as a hands-on manager whose attention to detail--and unusual insistence on trying a few cases each year himself--have won over many members of his staff.

From 1984 to 1988, Garcetti served as Reiner’s top aide, supervising day-to-day management of the district attorney’s office. Reiner demoted Garcetti from the No. 2 spot without public explanation. Some office insiders speculated that Reiner may have felt overshadowed by his high-profile chief deputy.

Garcetti said he expects to rely on his colleagues in the criminal justice system to help get his campaign message out.

“They know who I am. They’ve worked with me. I have their respect,” he said. He predicted that by spring he will have gathered “some important endorsements.”

Garcetti also echoed Beverly Hills City Councilman Robert Tanenbaum, Reiner’s only other official challenger to date, by pledging to stop “unnecessary” plea bargaining in cases involving violent crimes. Tanenbaum, who entered the race in November, has called Reiner a “plea-bargaining addict.”

“There is always room in the state prisons for violent criminals,” Garcetti said. “If you have a good case involving crimes of violence, there’s no reason to plea-bargain. Put that person in prison as long as possible.”

Shortly before Tanenbaum entered the race, Reiner unveiled a new policy strongly opposing plea bargains for violent crimes. Under the policy, Reiner said his office would track the sentencing records of judges to determine who had a pattern of allowing frequent plea-bargaining.

In announcing his candidacy, Garcetti also said that the district attorney should be willing to break out of his traditionally punitive role by launching programs aimed at preventing crime. He said he would hope to expand a gang prevention program that he began in Torrance, which sent deputy district attorneys into classrooms to serve as role models for students.

“Our first responsibility is to prosecute aggressively those who’ve committed violent crimes and to protect the innocent,” he said. “But let’s start thinking long term. What about the 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds who are going to be in our criminal justice system unless we are willing to do something about it?”

Garcetti said he plans to use vacation time, followed by a leave of absence, to conduct his campaign.

He is the second to join what is expected to be a potentially crowded field of candidates. Deputy Dist. Atty. Sterling Norris, a 23-year prosecutor, has said he intends to enter the race this month, and Superior Court Judge J.D. Smith is weighing a bid.