US Lawyer Martín Estrada Resigns and Remembers ‘Labor of Love’

The granite steps leading to the old federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles are sturdy and majestic. But on Friday there was something disturbing that I would never have expected:

Ash.

The Eaton Fire 15 miles northeast I was still furious. The center was eerily empty. The lunchtime sun was shining, turning everything a sickly shade of gold.

I was there to interview US Attorney E. Martin Estradawho is expected to announce Monday that he will step down on Friday as head of the Central District of California, which prosecutes federal crimes in coastal counties from San Luis Obispo to Orange.

He was supposed to make his plans public early last week. But it was delayed like The most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history. It brought a sad end to his two and a half years as Southern California’s top federal prosecutor.

Members of his team have lost homes in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. More had to evacuate. Drones interfere with firefighting efforts (a federal crime) meant his prosecutors were ready to file charges if necessary. Scammers were already taking advantage of victims, crimes that Estrada’s office prosecuted in the wake of the 2023 Monterey Park mass shooting and other local tragedies.

“If I had my options, I wouldn’t leave, especially in times of crisis,” Estrada said from a large table in his 12th-floor office. Two computer screens on a desk behind him glowed. “I don’t like leaving things undone. But I really have no choice here, so I have to go.”

Even if he doesn’t quit a job he described as a “labor of love,” his days are numbered and Donald Trump will soon take office.

It is customary for U.S. attorneys to tender their resignations when a new president takes office. They know that the incoming commander-in-chief usually wants to start over and prefers to appoint people from his own crew. That’s why Estrada wanted to talk to me.

A Democrat and the first U.S. attorney of Guatemalan descent, he has emphasized diversity in his position and profession and has made it a point to speak in both English and Spanish during press conferences. She was the kind of U.S. attorney who invited civil rights icon Dolores Huerta to speak to her team; She led them with cries of “If possible!” – and regularly spoke to inner-city kids about the importance of people like them in positions like theirs.

That mentality is anathema to the incoming Trump administration, and Estrada acknowledged that politics in Washington is more “partisan” than ever.

“There is a lot of fear in the community, concern about the next administration: what can happen and what cannot,” said the son of Guatemalan immigrants. “But it’s important for people to know that this good work will continue.”

A smiling man with dark hair, a dark suit and tie, sitting at a desk with a white machine and office supplies.

Estrada sounded serious, even maudlin, in keeping with his slender figure and youthful appearance. I also know not to underestimate his insight. After all, this is the person whose record against criminals of all stripes speaks for itself. His prosecutors obtained a conviction against Los Angeles Political Powerhouse Mark Ridley-Thomas on corruption charges (Ridley-Thomas is appealing) and obtained guilty pleas from former Los Angeles Councilman José Huizar and Andrew Do, former Orange County Supervisor. Estrada praised his team for going after white supremacist gangs, fentanyl distributors, environmental polluters and other evildoers without favoring any party or ideology.

“So I really think the work will continue, because we’ve done it and we’ve shot right down the middle,” he said.

Would the 47-year-old remain in office if Trump asked him to?

“Yes, I would,” he replied without hesitation. “But it’s clear, based on where the politics are in DC, that it’s not in the cards.”

Does that bother you?

“I went through different administrations, Republican and Democrat,” Estrada said. “I see what people go through. So I really think the culture here is one of doing the right thing for the right reasons. My hope is that the new administration will look at what’s been happening, look at the work that’s been done and say, ‘I agree, we have to support this.'”

Any advice for your successor?

“See the work that has been done, listen to the community and see the needs that this community has. And I think that will take you down a similar path to what I have done.”

After a few weeks off to enjoy his passions: running and cycling, Estrada plans to return to private practice, where he worked for eight years before President Biden. named him in 2022. Before that, he was a prosecutor in the office he now heads. Looking ahead, he wants to focus on civil rights cases because “it’s in my blood, I can’t stop doing it.”

For now, there is one last week of work left. He hinted at a “big announcement” about a case he declined to elaborate on except for a smile.

“My philosophy has always been to run,” Estrada said. “I’ve always been a runner. Finish with the tape.”

He glanced at public affairs officer Ciaran McEvoy, who had quietly watched our half-hour conversation.

“They will be happy to see me go,” he said of his staff. “I was like the Energizer bunny.”

He and McEvoy have known each other since fourth grade at St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Costa Mesa.

“No one would ever accuse Martin of laziness,” McEvoy deadpanned, eliciting a laugh from his boss.

“We accomplished a lot,” Estrada responded. “I would like to be there to help continue to develop some of the younger lawyers and make sure they stay on the right path. But I’m sure they will get it.”

A dark-haired man in a dark suit and red tie walks past a camera crew and people sitting at a desk.

I looked at all the memorabilia that hadn’t yet been put into boxes and asked which one would best exemplify his time as a federal prosecutor. He pointed to a trio of photographs of him with Huerta, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas and Biden.

Estrada finally zeroed in on a framed letter from students at Utah Street Span School in Boyle Heights, which he has visited for years. It featured their signatures, a smiling flower and a note of thanks and congratulations.

“That’s what matters to me: not just my personal legacy, not just what people write about me, but having a real impact on people’s lives,” he said. “I truly believe that the work in this office has an impact on people’s lives.”

He brought up the Concepción case. In 2019, a dive boat caught fire off Santa Cruz Island. killing 34 people in the deadliest maritime disaster in modern California history. In 2023, federal prosecutors obtained a conviction from a federal jury, which found Boat Captain Jerry Boylan Guilty of Gross Negligence. A judge sentenced Boylan to four years in prison (he is free after appeal).

Estrada met with the victims’ relatives “more than half a dozen times” and particularly remembers one mother who only spoke Spanish.

“I talked to her many times about the loss of her daughter,” he said. “I sought to hire people who reflected the diversity of this area. And that is the kind of impact that I hope lasts for many years.”

We shook hands. Outside the sky seemed even more smoky than before. Estrada again mentioned the wildfires and how they are coloring his final weeks in a way that makes him proud of the people he worked with and will leave behind.

“They have really come together. They have told their affected colleagues: ‘Come and stay with me’ or ‘What do you need?’ “It is a reminder: our people are not tycoons,” he said. “They are members of the community, like the people they serve. “It’s a beautiful thing.”

For the next five days, the U.S. attorney for Southern California excused himself and returned to work at his desk.