Talking Downey with Mario and Eric.

About Talking Downey with Mario and Eric.

.

Publisher

Talking Downey

Category

government · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Oct 2021

Latest episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

173 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Oct 2026

   From the Pentagon to LA Recruiting: Lt. Col. Jay De Jesus on Army Opportunity | Talking Downey

   In this episode of Talking Downey, Mayor Mario sits down with Lieutenant Colonel Steven Jay De Jesus, the newly arrived commander of the U.S. Army's Los Angeles Recruiting Battalion — five companies and 28 stations spanning Southern California. Lt. Col. De Jesus enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard in 2005 to pay for college, commissioned through UNLV ROTC into the Field Artillery branch in 2008, and later moved into Psychological Operations. He served as aide-de-camp to Under Secretary of the Army Camarillo, traveling internationally on trips to the Indo-Pacific and to Germany and Poland. Mario, who has served as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) under four different Army Secretaries, shares his own perspective on that world. As a selected Olmsted Scholar, Lt. Col. De Jesus studied at the Defense Language Institute, was redirected from Vietnam to Singapore, and completed a master's degree in Strategic Studies there. The conversation covers the Army hitting its active-duty and reserve recruiting missions for the first time in a decade, the misconceptions that keep some schools and counselors from letting recruiters on campus (including a story about the LA County Sheriff being called on a group delivering Porto's pastries to a counselor event), and the roughly 250 career fields available in the Army — only about 14% of which involve direct combat roles. They also break down the PaYS Program (Partnership for Youth Success), which guarantees departing soldiers a job interview — not a job, but a guaranteed shot — with up to five of the 2,000+ partner companies, including Disney, the City of Downey, and the LA County Sheriff's Department. Lt. Col. De Jesus shares his family's story too: his father enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from the Philippines, and a dinner-table argument over joining JROTC in high school set him on the path to a 20-year Army career. Have questions or thoughts? Mario's cell is 562-706-4114. Thank you for watching Talking Downey.

2. 

   3 Sept 2026

   John McKinney on 28 Years in the DA's Office and Running for LA City Attorney | Talking Downey

   In this episode of Talking Downey, Mario Guerra sits down with John McKinney — a 28-year Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney, veteran of over 100 jury trials, and candidate for Los Angeles City Attorney. John shares his story: growing up in Passaic, New Jersey, losing both parents by age five, being raised by his eldest sister alongside four other children, and working his way through Rutgers University and UCLA School of Law. He talks about prosecuting the Nipsey Hussle murder case in the Major Crimes Division, being demoted under DA George Gascon for speaking out, and being brought back by current DA Nathan Hockman to lead the Bureau of Specialized Prosecutions — 300+ lawyers across eight of the office's most well-known divisions. Mario and John go deep on the LA City Attorney race: the difference between the District Attorney and City Attorney roles, the contrasts between John and his opponent (experience, vision, ideology, and her ties to the Democratic Socialists of America), Ordinance 4118 and the fight over the city's anti-encampment law, and why five to seven people die on LA streets every day. If you care about public safety, LA's homeless response, and who runs the second-largest municipal law firm in the country, this episode is for you. Learn more or volunteer at McKinney4LA.com (http://McKinney4LA.com). Follow the campaign on Instagram: @johnmckinney_ Thank you for watching Talking Downey. Like, comment, and subscribe for more local conversations that matter. CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro and welcome with John McKinney, LA Deputy DA and City Attorney candidate 00:52 Growing up in Passaic, New Jersey — losing both parents young 01:22 Raised by his eldest sister on paycheck-to-paycheck values 01:55 The crack cocaine years and navigating around trouble 02:21 Rutgers University to UCLA School of Law 02:52 Why prosecution over criminal defense 04:47 28 years as a prosecutor and 100+ jury trials 05:36 The George Gascon retaliation and demotion from Major Crimes 06:12 Prosecuting the Nipsey Hussle murder case 07:34 Nathan Hockman brings him back — leading the Bureau of Specialized Prosecutions 08:12 The eight divisions he oversees today 10:09 800 lawyers, still 200–300 understaffed in LA County 10:45 DA vs City Attorney — how the two offices actually differ 13:47 The race — an incumbent who didn't make the top two 14:33 Objective contrasts with his opponent 15:03 34 years old, zero jury trials 18:34 Two different visions for what the City Attorney is 19:03 The "public interest law firm" framing problem 20:03 A nonpartisan role, and 40 years as a Democrat 22:19 Ordinance 4118 and the refusal to enforce the anti-encampment law 24:26 Five to seven homeless deaths on LA streets every day 25:07 The homeless approach — court-ordered treatment, not jail 26:23 Endorsements — three former DAs, former city attorneys, city council members 28:03 A business-friendly City Attorney for young entrepreneurs 30:37 McKinney4LA.com (http://McKinney4LA.com) and how to volunteer 32:22 The DSA membership and the co-governance pledge 34:52 Closing: a paycheck-to-paycheck kid becoming your attorney 37:55 Closing thoughts and what's ahead — Downey council race and 14 propositions

3. 

   3 Sept 2026

   He Helped Fire Victims for Free. Now He's Running for Judge. | David DeJute on Talking Downey

   Most people don't vote in judicial elections — but judges affect your life more than almost any elected official. On this episode of Talking Downey, former Mayor Mario Guerra sits down with David DeJute, candidate for Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Seat #87. DeJute is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, a Harvard Law graduate, a law professor at Pepperdine/Caruso School of Law, and someone who took a significant pay cut to run two disaster relief clinics — one after the Woolsey Fire in 2018 and another after the Palisades and Eaton Fires in 2025 — providing free legal help to victims targeted by predatory contractors. He also happens to be an openly gay man who's been with his partner for 40 years. He didn't put that at the top of his campaign. But it's shaped how he sees fairness, tolerance, and who deserves to be heard in a courtroom. This isn't a political episode. It's a conversation about integrity, what makes a good judge, why the court system matters to every single resident of LA County, and why one candidate says his job — if elected — is simple: call balls and strikes. 💬 To reach Mayor Mario: 562-706-4114 🔔 Subscribe — more election coverage coming, including all 14 propositions on the ballot. 00:00 – Welcome & Why Judges Matter to Your Life 00:34 – Meet David DeJute: Former AUSA, Law Professor, Seat #87 01:43 – Why He's Running: The Path to the Bench as a White Male 02:43 – "I Bring Diversity" — Married 40 Years, Raised a Son 03:15 – Growing Up Catholic in Ohio: Sexual Orientation & Becoming More Tolerant 03:58 – What Made Him Pursue Law: His Father Was a Judge 04:31 – Career Breadth: Trial Lawyer, AUSA, Sony Pictures, Pepperdine 05:27 – Pepperdine Disaster Relief Clinic: The Woolsey Fire (2018) 06:28 – The Palisades & Eaton Fires (2025): He Took a Pay Cut to Help 07:02 – Teaching Law Students Empathy — Practical Skills They Don't Teach in Class 08:10 – How Predatory Contractors Exploit Fire Victims 09:30 – "Sit Next to Them" — What Fire Victims Really Need From a Lawyer 11:25 – What Makes a Good Judge: His Father's Legacy on the Bench 12:36 – Fairness in a Divisive Time — Civility in the Courtroom 13:54 – His Time at the U.S. Attorney's Office: "Lying Was Not an Option" 14:15 – The Plaintiff Who Lost — and Still Shook His Hand 15:58 – Federal Grand Jury: He Served as Foreman 18:31 – The Grand Jury System & Why Prosecutorial Integrity Matters 20:09 – His Dad Said He Was "Too Nice to Be a Lawyer" — He Disagrees 22:09 – Real Advocacy: How You Treat Opposing Counsel Comes Back to You 23:46 – What Cases Go Before a Superior Court Judge in LA County 25:07 – New Judges Start at the Bottom: Traffic Court in Lancaster 26:17 – Final Pitch: Why Voters Should Choose DeJute 26:33 – Notre Dame, Harvard Law, Harvard Legal Aid Bureau 28:32 – The Baseball Analogy: "A Judge's Job Is to Call Balls and Strikes" 29:34 – Mario's Endorsement & Why These Judicial Races Matter 30:10 – Closing: 14 Propositions Coming — Stay Informed

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

3.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

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