Special to the Vanguard
Oakland, CA – Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price on Thursday, announced big leadership changes inside the District Attorney’s office .
Effective this week, Senior Assistant District Attorney James P. Meehan, the son of former District Attorney John J. Meehan, has been appointed to serve as the Interim Branch Head of the East County Hall of Justice. Jim Meehan was hired by his father in 1986 and has served the office for 38 years. He is a seasoned, dedicated prosecutor. His father was appointed by the Board of Supervisors and served as the Alameda County District Attorney from 1981 to 1994. The elder Meehan became a nationally recognized expert in search and seizure.
Senior Assistant District Attorney (SADA) Meehan is stepping up to relieve SADA Elgin Lowe, another veteran prosecutor after Lowe was recently assigned to lead a team of prosecutors in the murder case of Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le. SADA Lowe has been with the office since 1995. DA Price appointed him to serve as the Branch Head of the East County Hall of Justice in March 2023.
Effective this week, Senior Assistant District Attorney Catherine Horner Kobal has been appointed to serve as the Interim Branch Head of the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse. SADA Kobal joined the office in 1990 upon her graduation from law school. She has successfully led the DA’s Law & Motion team for many years. Her father, Hon. Jeffrey 
Horner, served on the Alameda County Superior Court bench from 1986 until his retirement in 2018.
Effective this week, Senior Assistant District Attorney Jimmie Wilson has been appointed to serve as the Branch Head at the Wiley Manuel Courthouse. SADA Wilson joined the office in 2003. He was promoted by DA Price in the early days of her administration in 2023 and appointed to serve at the Rene C. Davidson courthouse. SADA Wilson unsuccessfully ran for District Attorney in 2022. His new assignment includes leading the district attorney’s partnership with the City of Oakland’s Gun Violence Reduction Program.
“The residents of Alameda County should know that these dedicated and longtime public servants are proud to serve our County and have been instrumental in our successful transition over the past year. I appreciate their support and service as well as the contributions of all of our employees who are working tirelessly to make sure that the justice system works for everyone,” said District Attorney Pamela Price.
Joining the new Branch Heads at the East County Hall of Justice, the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse, and the Wiley Manuel Courthouse, seasoned veteran prosecutors are leading the office at four other locations. Senior Assistant District Attorney Casey Bates, a seasoned prosecutor who joined the DA’s office in 2000, continues to serve as the branch head at the Fremont Hall of Justice. Evanthia Pappas, a well-respected leader in domestic violence cases with more than two decades of experience as a prosecutor, continues to lead the Domestic Violence Team at the Family Justice Center. SADA Pappas joined DA Price’s team in 2023 after serving 13 years as a DDA in the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office and as a Senior Assistant and Managing Attorney for nine years in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.
Tiffany Gipson, also a well-respected prosecutor with 28 years of experience, continues to lead the Juvenile Justice Center branch. Ms. Gipson joined the DA’s office in 2015 after serving as a Deputy DA in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office for 19 years. Justin Kollar and Senior Assistant District Attorney Simona Farrise Best continue to lead the Consumer Justice Bureau. SADA Best is a nationally acclaimed consumer products attorney who joined the office under DA Price’s leadership. Justin Kollar is the former District Attorney of the Island of Kauai, where he was elected and served for nearly ten years. He was hired by DA Price in 2023 and provides administrative leadership to the CJB team.
In addition, the new Community Support Bureau is led by Esther Lemus, a veteran prosecutor formerly with the Sonoma County DA’s office. DDA Lemus was hired by DA Price in December 2023. The Civil Rights Bureau is led by Senior Assistant District Attorney Demarris Evans, who joined the DA’s office in early 2023.
SADA Evans has been practicing law for 29 years. She joined the office after working in both the District Attorney’s and the Public Defender’s offices in San Francisco.
Sure is a spicy place, that Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. So much seasoning and all those veterans. We should give every employee a jug of “Old Spice” aftershave.