Oakland, CA – An initial list of 15 people was reduced to seven by the Alameda Board of Supervisors on Thursday.
Supervisor Nate Miley told the media they will pick “someone who is a seasoned prosecutor because we need to make sure we have someone who has the experience and understands the role of a district attorney. You want to hold people accountable for their behaviors and their actions, particularly if they’re heinous.”
The finalists include:
- Ursula Jones Dickson, Alameda County Superior Court judge and former Alameda County deputy district attorney.
- Venus Johnson, chief deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice, former director of Oakland’s Department of Public Safety, former legal and policy advisor to Kamala Harris when she was state attorney general, former chief assistant district attorney in Contra Costa County.
- Annie Esposito, Contra Costa County assistant district attorney, former senior assistant district attorney in Alameda County.
- Latricia Louis, deputy county council in Alameda County, former Alameda County assistant district attorney.
- Yibin Shen, Alameda city attorney.
- Elgin Lowe, senior deputy district attorney in Alameda County.
- Jimmie Wilson, deputy district attorney in Alameda County.
The Prosecutor’s Alliance issued a statement on Thursday, congratulating the finalists for Alameda DA.
“We congratulate the finalists for Alameda County District Attorney and look forward to hearing about their visions for public safety as they meet with the community in the coming weeks,” said Executive Director Cristine Soto DeBerry.
She added, “We hope all the candidates are committed to safety and justice. Alameda County residents deserve a District Attorney who is invested in sustainable safety and a leader who addresses root causes of crime, promotes rehabilitation, and improves victim services while also holding police accountable and ensuring exploitative corporations are held responsible.”
DeBerry concluded, “We commend the Board of Supervisors for overseeing an open, transparent application process.”
