Alameda County Must Appoint a District Attorney Who Promotes Safety and Justice for All

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors is set to appoint a new district attorney to replace outgoing DA Pamela Price. Price, the first Black woman to serve as the county’s top prosecutor, was recalled in November.  

On Tuesday January 21, the supervisors interviewed seven finalists — winnowed down from a list of 15 applicants. The final selection is expected by February 4. Whoever is appointed will serve in the position until the November 2026 election. 

District Attorneys are some of the most powerful players in the criminal legal system. They decide who to prosecute and whether to bring charges, and who not to prosecute or send to a diversion program. District attorneys' decisions can lead to mass incarceration and overcriminalization.  

It is critical that the board of supervisors appoints someone who truly reflects the values of Alameda County residents who support equal justice under the law and public safety solutions that address the root causes of crime.

Alameda is a large, diverse county with more than 1.6 million people. The next district attorney must have the experience to manage a large staff and the ability to navigate complex and often challenging government and community relationships. In addition, the board should only consider candidates who pledge the following: 

Commitment Not to Seek the Death Penalty. Alameda County residents have voted twice to abolish this barbaric practice and California has had a moratorium on the death penalty since 2019.  Meanwhile, former DA Price had uncovered the fact that the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office had a decades-long systemic practice of excluding Black, Jewish and LGBTQ people from death penalty juries. That led to a federal judge ordering a review of all death penalty cases in the county. The next District Attorney must maintain the office’s Conviction Integrity Unit to review cases like those tainted by prosecutorial misconduct and work to undo unjust sentences. 

Commitment to Protect Immigrant Rights. California is a sanctuary state and  Alameda County is a sanctuary county. That prohibits the county from helping federal law enforcement hunt down noncitizen residents for deportation. The next DA must commit to have an immigration policy that avoids adverse immigration consequences for noncitizens, as well as urgently void old convictions that put people at a heightened risk of deportation.   

Commitment to Not Charge Youth as Adults. The next district attorney must pledge to never prosecute children as adults. In a criminal justice system infected with racism, Black and Latino youths are far more likely to be charged as adults and incarcerated than white youth. Instead of jail or prison, young people should be placed in rehabilitation programs that provide an alternative to incarceration whenever possible.      

Commitment to Law Enforcement Accountability. Alameda County has a long and shameful history of police violence and abuse of power. The entire Oakland Police Department remains under federal oversight for various scandals, which has cost the City of Oakland more than $20 million since 2003.  The next district attorney must maintain the Office’s Public Accountability Unit that helps hold officers accountable when they break the law. The next district attorney should further pledge to not take to campaign donations from law enforcement unions. 

To learn more about the DA finalists, watch the candidate forum hosted by the Alameda County District Attorney Accountability Table, a coalition of community-based and civil rights organizations in Alameda County, including the ACLU, that works to address the root causes of violence, end mass incarceration and hold police accountable. 

Email the board of supervisors and tell them to appoint a candidate that reflects our community’s values!   

D1 - David Haubert - David.Haubert@acgov.org 
D2 - Elisa Marquez - elisa.marquez@acgov.org 
D3 - Lena Tam - lena.tam@acgov.org 
D4 - Nate Miley - Nate.miley@acgov.org 
D5 - Nikki Fortunato Bas - nikki.fortunatobas@acgov.org