Military service

After graduating from high school in 1989, Hatami enlisted in the United States Army as a private.^[10][11] He was honorably discharged in 1996.^[10][11] Hatami was in the Infantry before transferring to the Military Police Corps, eventually attaining the rank of staff sergeant.^[10][11] He was largely stationed in South Korea, but also served in Panama, Guantanamo Bay during the 1991 Haitian refugee crisis, and Los Angeles during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.^[11]

While in the Army, Hatami was able to come to terms with the fact that he was a victim of child abuse.^[12] He decided to do something meaningful in his life to help abused and neglected children.^[12]

Santa Clarita City Council Race

In 2012, Hatami ran for the Santa Clarita City Council as a Republican candidate. During the campaign, he was asked about his biggest weakness, to which he replied, "I'm too conservative."^[13] A few months later, at an endorsement event, he said "Bottom line, hands down, I am the second most conservative person on this panel."^[13]

Throughout the campaign, Hatami regularly campaigned on his dedication to addressing immigration issues in Santa Clarita.^[14] He advocated for an E-Verify system for employers to use in hiring.^[15] He also advocated for cooperation with the federal government to assign an ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent to Santa Clarita to address immigration-related concerns.^[15]

Hatami finished last among the five candidates.^[13]

It is noteworthy that Hatami later changed his political affiliation and re-registered as a Democrat before announcing his candidacy for the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.^[13]

Civil attorney

After completing his military service, Hatami returned to California and enrolled at the College of the Canyons, where he developed an interest in criminal justice.^[16] He transferred to California State University Northridge to complete his undergraduate degree.^[10][16] Hatami received a full scholarship to attend the University of Nebraska College of Law, graduating with a J.D. degree in 2002.^[10][16]

Following graduation, Hatami clerked for Judge Sievers of the Nebraska Court of Appeals for one year.^[10][16] He moved back to Los Angeles, California to practice law as a civil attorney.^[11] When Hatami’s firm opened an office in New York, he practiced there for a year, then returned to California to continue his practice.^[11]

Murder of Gabriel Fernandez

On May 22, 2013, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, covered in injuries, was rushed to Antelope Valley Hospital, then flown to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.^[19][20][21] Two days later, he was declared brain dead and taken off life support.^[22] Gabriel’s mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her live-in boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, were arrested and charged with Gabriel’s torture and murder.^[23]

In September 2017, the trials of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre commenced, with Hatami and Deputy District Attorney Scott Yang leading the prosecution.^[6][24][25] After four months, Isauro Aguirre was found guilty of first-degree murder with a special circumstance of torture and was sentenced to death.^[26][27][28] In order to avoid the death penalty, Pearl Fernandez pleaded guilty to all charges and allegations, agreeing to waive all her appellate rights, in exchange for a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.^[29][30]

In April 2021, Pearl Fernandez applied to be re-sentenced under California Penal Code Section 1170.95.^[29][31][32] Pearl Fernandez’s petition was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George G. Lomeli in June 2021.^[33][34]

Murder of Anthony Avalos

In 2018, two weeks after the sentencing of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre, Hatami received a call from an Antelope Valley Hospital nurse.^[4][35] The nurse told Hatami that what happened to Gabriel happened again to another boy.^[4][35] 10-year-old Anthony Avalos was found dead in the home of his mother, Heather Barron, and her live-in boyfriend, Kareem Leiva.^[4][36][37] Both Barron and Leiva were arrested and charged in the child’s torture and murder.^[4][38] Reflecting on how receiving the news made him feel, Hatami said, “... it was just very disappointing, deflating, sad...”^[35]

Anthony’s trial commenced in January 2023.^[39] On March 7, 2023, Heather Barron and Kareem Leiva were found guilty of the torture and murder of Anthony Avalos.^[4][40] Barron and Leiva were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on April 25, 2023. Although originally a death penalty case, Governor Gavin Newsom has implemented a moratorium on capital punishment and District Attorney George Gascón has issued a directive for prosecutors not to seek it.^[41][42][43]

Death of Noah Cuatro

In 2019, four-year-old Noah Cuatro was found dead in his apartment. His parents claimed that he drowned in the pool of his apartment complex.^[18][44] Both Noah’s mother, Ursula Juarez, and father, Jose Cuatro, were arrested and charged in the 4-year old’s torture, sexual assault, and murder.^[18][45] The case is still ongoing.^[46] Hatami is leading the prosecution of Juarez and Cuatro.

Increased Restitution for Victims of Child Sexual Abuse in California

As a Deputy District Attorney, Hatami helped change state law to provide increased restitution for victims of child sexual abuse in California.^[11][47][48] The change in state law was accomplished through Hatami’s successful prosecution and conviction of Renoir Valenti in 2014.^[48][49][50]