Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price sent a statement Monday acknowledging the successful recall and saying voters have spoken.
Alameda County Registrar of Voters announced last week that there were not enough uncounted ballots to change the results of the recall against her.
Votes in favor of the recall currently lead at 63.1% compared to 36.9% against the recall.
“I thank you for the honor of serving as your district attorney and I applaud you for going to the polls in 2022 and believing in the possibility of reforming the criminal justice system after 100 years here in Alameda County,” said Price during a news report. conference in downtown Oakland Monday afternoon.
In her released statement, which she partially repeated during the news conference, Price said the outcome is not what she hoped for, but that she respects the decision.
The release then included a list of accomplishments during her two years in office as she “fought to bring change to a broken system.”
Price said she has “diversified the workforce by hiring and training AAPI, Indigenous and African American attorneys,” in addition to addressing gun violence, the fentanyl crisis and human trafficking.
“We prosecuted murderers and other violent individuals at a faster rate than my predecessor, handling more than 12,000 cases,” the statement said. “Last week, we secured a 50-year-to-life sentence for a former deputy sheriff who murdered two people.”
Price also mentioned progress in the cases of suspects involved in the deaths of guard Kevin Nishita, toddler Jasper Wu — who in 2021 was fatally shot during a deadly shootout on an Oakland freeway — And undercover Oakland police officer Tuan Le.
Early in her tenure, Price sparked criticism for her refusal to file more serious charges in multiple cases, which her opponents argued created a “catch and release” system.
Price also praised “the financial acumen and stewardship of Chief Assistant District Attorney Royl Roberts” in establishing “the most robust grant portfolio in the history of the District Attorney’s Office – more than $21 million dollars as of January 2023.” ” She noted that Roberts would take over leadership of the office until a new district attorney is appointed.
Price did not say what her plans are as she leaves office and did not answer questions from reporters.
Nate Miley, chairman of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, said approximately 10 candidates have expressed interest in the positionincluding Butch Ford, who worked for the Alameda County district attorney’s office for 23 years. He left after Price took office. She would later accuse him of misconduct.
CBS News Bay Area also learned that LD Louis and Venus Johnson are among the candidates being considered for the job. Louis is a former Alameda County prosecutor of 23 years and the current deputy attorney general of Alameda County, while Johnson is the chief deputy and senior advisor to Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Alameda County voters will get to choose a new district attorney in the 2026 election.
