Voters successfully recalled Alameda County District Attorney (DA) Pamela Price in a November 5 general election after an 18 month community-led recall effort.
A DA’s purpose is to manage the county’s criminal justice system and ensure justice is served. However, Price’s recall movement was largely spurred by the public’s upset with the county’s overall rise in crime. According to The Guardian, statistics show both violent and non-violent crime rates were declining before the election.
However, the public, frustrated with Price’s directives, was adamant on removing Price from her position. Election results released by the Official Election Site of Alameda County last updated December 5 showed 62.92% of voters voted in favor of removing Price. On October 21, the SF Chronicle published an article about Price failing to charge 1,000 misdemeanor cases. Price also faces accusations of anti-Asian discrimination and extortion.
Until the Alameda County Board of Supervisors appoints a replacement, Price’s Chief Assistant DA Royl Roberts will serve as interim DA. The Board of Supervisors are due to select the replacement in February 2025, and the selected DA will serve for 4 years.
Head-organizers Brenda Grisham and Carl Chan led the recall efforts, promoting petitions and speaking to the public.
“She was letting criminals out,” said Grisham, “letting murders out on the street. The people weren’t being held accountable for their crimes.”
Grisham hopes for a more efficient future DA, who can “oversee the system in their department, not have hands on every little thing that’s going on.”
Families of victims also played a vital role in recall efforts, sharing their stories and their sense of injustice to the community to garner support.
“We’re the reality of what’s going on,” said sister of homicide victim John “JJ” Creech Jr., Crystle Creech. “We’re telling my brother’s story.”
Creech and Angel Santos, mother of JJ, joined the recall about a year ago. JJ’s five year anniversary since his death was on December 7. Yet, under Pamela Price’s directives, the murderer of JJ has refused to go to court 13 times since his arrest on April 14, 2023.
Creech and Santos were at a San Leandro restaurant with victims’ families that are involved in the recall, along with Grisham, when they saw the initial numbers showing the recall was favored. Santos said “it felt like a prayer was answered.”
“There’s been a lot of community work that’s been done to bring awareness to the voting,” said Creech.
Creech and Santos said they hope the new DA will bring back “25 to life” and “LWOP,” life without parole.
Patricia Harris, one of the earliest supporters and second signature on the recall petition has also aided the effort by sharing her story. Price dropped all charges and replaced them with lighter charges on the murderer of her son, who was shot and killed on April 28, 2020.
“We feel like we did not get justice for our son,” said Harris. “And I could not sit by and let it happen to other families if there was something we could do about it.”
Virginia Nishita joined the recall in the spring of 2023. Nishita’s husband, Kevin Nishita, was a security guard who was shot on duty on November 24, 2021 and later succumbed to his injuries. Price nearly let two of the three men in the robbery that killed her husband go on attempted robbery charges, pinning the murder on a missing man. Upon the discovery of the final man, Nishita hopes, under the new DA, the murderers will receive a sentence of 25 to life.
“It’s been a difficult journey through the court system under Price,” said Nishita. “Price’s directives were for the defendands and not the victim or the families.”
Virginia aims to be the voice for her husband, fighting for his justice.
The Monarch Times contacted Price for an interview on November 24 and received no response.
However, Price released a statement conceding to the vote.
“The voters have spoken,” said Price, “and while the outcome is not what we hoped for, I respect their decision.”
