Whomever Alameda County supervisors select Tuesday to replace recalled District Attorney Pamela Price will be a huge improvement.
For starters, all seven finalists bring prosecutorial experience, which Price lacked when she was elected in 2022 to the most powerful law enforcement post in the county.
But of the seven finalists, one, Venus Johnson, also brings a unique management and leadership background that makes her the best candidate to repair the badly fractured Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
The other finalists are Alameda City Attorney Yibin Shen and five current or former prosecutors from the office they seek to lead: Alameda County Superior Court Judge Ursula Jones Dickson, Contra Costa Assistant District Attorney Annie Esposito, Alameda County Senior Deputy District Attorney Elgin Lowe, Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Jimmie Wilson and Alameda County Deputy County Counsel Latricia Louis.
While all have important experience, Johnson stands out. An Oakland native, she has been an Alameda County prosecutor, a top policy and legal adviser to then-Attorney General Kamala Harris and the chief assistant to Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton. She currently serves as Attorney General Rob Bonta’s chief deputy, overseeing a $1.3 billion budget and more than 5,000 employees.
The five members of the county Board of Supervisors are responsible for appointing a temporary replacement for Price. Their pick must stand for election at the next general election, in 2026, to keep the post.
Alameda County residents deserve a leader like Johnson who can bring long-term stability to the office and a sense of even-handed justice that was lacking during Price’s tenure.
Price punished opponents, hired allies with questionable credentials, including her own boyfriend, insisted on leniency for violent criminals, undermined public disclosure laws, demonstrated prosecutorial bias, and allegedly made racist comments and tried to extort money from a political rival.
Not only did 63% of county voters in the November election cast ballots to oust Price, 62% supported Proposition 36, which increases punishments for some theft and drug crimes while also creating incentives for addicts to seek drug treatment.
The results indicate that voters had not only tired of Price’s chaotic management and prosecutorial decisions, but they were also weary of the crime levels in the county — especially in its most populous city, Oakland. In a generally liberal county, voters sent a signal that, while they support reasonable criminal justice reform, Price was taking it too far.
Johnson understands that. If appointed district attorney, Johnson told county supervisors during a presentation last week, “There will be a clear message from my office that the days of get-out-of-jail-free passes, or whatever it is that people feel that they have, are over.”
In deciding the severity of charges in criminal cases, prosecutors must be mindful of mitigating circumstances such as mental health, substance abuse and homelessness challenges, Johnson said.
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On the other hand, she said, “there are others who simply want to frankly just terrorize our businesses, and our pedestrians and our seniors, and bring drugs and firearms and trafficking into our community. Those things will certainly not be tolerated.”
Johnson promises to rescind charging policies Price put in place that hamstrung attorneys prosecuting even some of the most violent criminals. Instead, Johnson promises to develop policies “that focus on equitably and fairly charging individuals to the fullest extent of the law.”
Johnson hopes to win back some of the office’s senior-level prosecutors who left or were forced out when Price took over. And she vows to unify a team that includes veteran prosecutors and new hires Price brought in.
Restoring credibility to the District Attorney’s Office will be a tough assignment. While the six other finalists bring individual skills, Johnson’s unique experience makes her the best choice. We hope county supervisors recognize that.
