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Oakland, CA — After hours of public comment from community members and advocates, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors selected Judge Ursula Jones Dickson to replace former District Attorney Pamela Price at an open special meeting on January 28. With this new appointment, the Alameda County District Attorney Accountability Table (ACDA Accountability Table) will continue advocating for policies that reflect the values of the community and hold the incoming District Attorney accountable. Judge Dickson will be sworn into the District Attorney (DA) role on February 4.
As a diverse coalition of advocates and community organizations representing victims, people who are currently incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, migrants, and youth, the ACDA Accountability Table understands that justice is not black and white. That the solutions to the county’s problems lie beyond a jail cell. Holistic healing is necessary and compassion is essential in creating true public safety.
“We will work with the community to ensure that the new District Attorney supports equal justice under the law and public safety solutions that address the root causes of violence rather than promoting policies that criminalize Black and Brown people and fuel mass incarceration,” said Yoel Haile, Director of the Criminal Justice Program at the ACLU of Northern California.
The ACDA Accountability Table upholds the need for community-centered policy solutions and hopes that Judge Ursula Dickson will be transparent in her leadership. The group also hopes that Judge Dickson will commit to working with community members, families, and victims by continuing to meet regularly with the ACDA Accountability Table, as her predecessors, DA O’Malley, DA Price, and interim DA Roberts, did.
“Alameda County is facing extreme threats: from the fear of ICE raids and the passage of Proposition 36 to the significant cuts to county budgets and social services. Residents and advocates must be able to work with the incoming District Attorney to ensure that they are prepared to protect Alameda County from federal attacks and ensure that the Office maintains effective policies against adverse immigration consequences in prosecution,” said Norma Orozco, Communications Manager at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.
The District Attorney plays a central role in the criminal legal system including implementation of state laws like the Racial Justice Act, holding law enforcement accountable for misconduct, and protecting the public against fraud and other unlawful business practices. The role of the DA goes well beyond punishment. Alameda County and many of its cities have worked for years to create or strengthen civilian oversight of law enforcement. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors adopted policies to reform our approach to public safety including Care First, Jails Last, and Reimagining Adult Justice resolutions.
“Judge Urusula Dickson has an opportunity to move the office forward and we hope that she will listen to the needs and demands of the communities most impacted by her decisions and work with the ACDA Accountability Table to put forth policy solutions,” Jess Inson, Lead Organizing Fellow with Oakland Rising.
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Alameda County District Attorney Accountability Table
The ACDA Accountability Table is a coalition of Alameda County-based organizations working together to advance public safety solutions by uplifting community voices, building collective strategy, and holding the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office accountable. The Table is comprised of Urban Peace Movement, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Oakland Rising, Berkeley Law Policy Advocacy Clinic (PAC), Anti-Police Terror Project, Alameda County Participatory Defense HUB, Justice Reinvestment Coalition, East Bay Community Law Center, ACLU NorCal, and Color of Change.
Email: daatalamedacounty@gmail.com
Instagram / X / Bluesky: @ACDAATable
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