Los Angeles County and the District Attorney’s Office are asking a judge to shut down a lawsuit by former Gascón aide Tiffiny Blacknell, arguing she cannot fix the legal flaws in her case and should not get another shot in court. Blacknell says she was punished and effectively demoted for supporting former District Attorney George Gascón’s reform agenda, and her suit accuses the county of discrimination, harassment and whistleblower retaliation tied to her transfers in and out of senior posts in the office.
As reported by MyNewsLA, defense attorneys told the court that “After over a year and four pleadings, plaintiff still cannot state any viable claim…” and urged the judge to dismiss the case ahead of an Oct. 1 hearing. They argue Blacknell has already had multiple opportunities to fix her filings and cannot show any reasonable likelihood that more amendments would cure the alleged defects.
Blacknell’s background
Blacknell, 49, was hired by Los Angeles County in 2002 and spent years as a deputy public defender before Gascón brought her into the DA’s office and placed her in top posts, including chief of staff, according to City News Service. Her amended complaint states that she suffered a cardiac event in October 2024, went on medical leave and was later reassigned by current District Attorney Nathan Hochman to a subordinate role in the Public Defender’s Office, which she describes as a demotion.
Court rulings so far
Judges have already carved out portions of Blacknell’s case. The court granted anti-SLAPP motions that knocked out her defamation claims and ordered attorneys’ fees to the county and to Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, while allowing her limited leave to revise certain workplace and retaliation counts. The Los Angeles Times notes those rulings have framed much of the litigation as a clash over political speech and internal personnel decisions.
What’s next
At the Oct. 1 hearing, defendants will ask the judge to dismiss the lawsuit outright on the theory that, after multiple amendments, Blacknell still cannot allege viable claims. If the court agrees, the current set of counts would be thrown out. If the motion is denied, her remaining workplace and retaliation allegations could proceed into discovery or additional pretrial fights.
The Oct. 1 calendar is the next big test for whether the case survives at all, in a broader post-Gascón legal landscape that has already reshaped staffing and litigation inside Los Angeles County’s justice system.
