On Tuesday, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors appointed Ursula Jones Dickson, a former deputy DA, who was appointed as a Superior Court judge, to be the next DA.
The move follows the recall of Pamela Price by the voters in November.
Dickson will serve until an election is held in 2026.
Ursula Jones Dickson told media following the vote, “When people feel like they need something, they’re going to come at you a little bit. And when people are supported, that’s great too. But when you represent the county, you work with everybody, and the goal is to work with everybody. I’m ready and able to do that.”
She added, she will “make sure we tamp down all of this political rhetoric about this office. This office was never this political, it should never be.”
She mentioned that her decision to resign from the bench and accept a position at the DA’s office was partly influenced by the extensive support she received from Alameda County throughout her career.
“This county has invested a lot in me,” she explained. “My entire legal career has been here. All of the training, all of the people that most lifted me up, were in the District Attorney’s Office. I watched it struggle, I get to see it first hand. So if I’m going to complain about it, I’d better do something about it.”
Dickson said her goal will be to bring what she brought to the court to the rest of the county.
“I try to listen to everybody, I believe everybody has a voice, and the goal is really just to make sure that people feel safer,” she said. “The DA can’t solve every problem, but we can do the DA’s job.”
Dickson added that she thought Price erred in her approach because “she was more of an activist than a district attorney.”
“Although I respect [Price’s] convictions, they’re not mine,” Jones Dickson said. “I’m here to do a job, and, as a judge, you have to be fair and impartial. You have to make sure you keep the law first, and this is a victim-centered process. It will be under my office going forward.”
A progressive organization, the Prosecutors Alliance, put a positive spin on the selection, sending out a congratulatory statement.
“We congratulate new Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson and look forward to working together to increase community safety and secure justice for crime survivors.,” said Prosecutors Alliance Action Executive Director Cristine Soto DeBerry.
“DA Dickson has an opportunity to build on the positive progress made to promote public safety in Alameda County,” she said. “The significant drop in violent crime in Oakland last year shows that we can make smart investments to prevent crime and hold individuals accountable while also addressing root causes, promoting rehabilitation, and holding police and exploitative companies responsible when they break the law. “
She added, “We commend the Board of Supervisors for overseeing an open, transparent appointment process, and we stand ready to collaborate with DA Dickson as she works to promote safety and justice for the people of Alameda County.”
Supervisors said they hope Dickson can be sworn in by February 4.
