The attorney who assisted in the prosecution of a transgender child molester has reportedly been suspended from his role by the District Attorney’s office after being accused “misgendering and deadnaming” the predator.
Shea Sanna, who had been the lead prosecuting attorney for part of the case of Hannah Tubbs, has been suspended for 5 days without pay by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon. Fox News was first to report the details in an article which used “she/her” pronouns to refer to the offender.
Sanna had previously argued Tubbs was attempting to use his gender identity to receive favorable treatment from the justice system, something Fox sources say made others in Gascon’s office uncomfortable and ultimately led to the suspension. Sanna had based his opinion on comments Tubbs himself had made.
Tubbs, born James, was sentenced last year in connection to the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in 2014. The predator was only two weeks shy of his 18th birthday when he followed the young girl into the bathroom of a Denny’s in Palmdale, California. He grabbed her by the throat and forced his hand down her pants, only stopping his assault when someone entered the restroom, and then ran away before he could be detained. It was later learned that Tubbs had committed a similar act of sexual violence upon a 4-year-old girl at a California library just one year prior.
Prior to moving to California from Idaho, Tubbs had a lengthy criminal record under his birth name.
In a decision which would spark international backlash, Tubbs was handed what was considered an outrageously short sentence after pleading guilty to the 2014 crime as part of a bargain.
Tubbs was initially sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility housing female youth because of his gender identity, and the fact he was technically a minor when he committed the crime. He was also told he wouldn’t have to register as a sex offender following the completion of his sentence.
It was quickly revealed that the short sentence was a result of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon repeatedly refusing to transfer Tubbs’ case to adult court, limiting the scope of possible sentencing options.
In February of last year, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin released exclusive audio from an in-custody phone call between Tubbs and his father in which he laughed and boasted about the lenient sentence he had been offered. The recording appears to have been from just before the final decisions in the case were made.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s a strike, but they’re gonna plead, I’m [going to] plead out to them and then plead guilty. They’re going to stick me on probation. And it’s going to be dropped. It’s going to be done, done. I won’t have to register,” Tubbs says in one recording, to which his father responded with confusion, seemingly not understanding how his son’s crime would result in no severe penalty.
“For offender… you won’t have to register?” Tubbs’ father asks, to which Tubbs responds, “I won’t have to do none of that!”
But Tubbs’ light sentence would ultimately be cut short after prosecutors in Kern County issued felony charges against him, including murder and robbery, in connection with the 2019 death of Michael Clark.
According to local KGET coverage, Clark’s decomposed body was discovered in the Kern River in August 2019. Prosecutors brought charges against Tubbs earlier this month after ongoing investigation into the case resulted in enough evidence for a Judge to bind Tubbs for trial.
Tubbs is currently being held in Kern County awaiting trial on the felony charges. He is listed under his birth name, and is housed at the Lerdo Justice Facility with an anticipated hearing date of March 17.
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