The D.A.

A former deputy district attorney in Los Angeles, Taylor (To Honor and Obey) here follows a year in the life of a successor, Larry Longo, and the problems of the legal system in the ``capital of the third world.'' The problems, as he shows, are manifold. The DA, an elected official, has a staff of 1000. Some, like Longo, are idealistic straight arrows; others claw their way to the top, seeking high-profile cases. Meanwhile, those who supervise them seem ready to lop off the heads of subordinates who become media favorites. Most of the book is given over to such a case, in which Japanese American entrepreneur Kazuhiko Yamaguchi killed his wife's lover and hired a shrewd lawyer depicted by Taylor as interested more in winning than in seeing justice done. Against the backdrop of the Rodney King, Menendez brothers and Charles Keating cases, Taylor depicts an organization reeling under an all but insurmountable burden. Photos not seen by PW. (Mar.)