On the afternoon of January 28 (Tuesday), the Alameda County Council responded to the public’s calls by appointing Judge Ursula Jones Dickson to replace the ousted official, Pamela Price, as the new District Attorney of Alameda County.
Dickson is currently a Superior Court judge in Alameda County and will be sworn in February, serving until 2026.
The council proceedings, which began at 3 pm, saw four rounds of voting to complete the election. Each of the five council members nominated two candidates, with the top three vote-getters advancing to the next round. Candidates needed support from at least three council members to be elected. In the end, Judge Dickson defeated six other candidates, including Venus Johnson, the Chief Deputy Attorney General for the California Department of Justice, and Annie Esposito, the Chief Assistant District Attorney of Alameda County.
Upon the announcement of the final vote results, family members of victims tearfully expressed their emotions. Tuan Ngo, founder of Asians Unite, told Epoch Times, “We feel relieved to be able to seek justice for the deceased and victims.”
Before the council meeting, more than a dozen people gathered in front of the Alameda County government building, chanting slogans like “No Bonta, No Venus,” “No justice, No peace,” and “People Before Politics.”
They urged the council to select one of their recommended candidates, either Judge Dickson or Annie Esposito, Assistant District Attorney of Contra Costa County.
Edward Escobar, founder of the Coalition for Community Engagement, addressed the crowd, stating that the county council must prioritize “the needs of the people over political interests.” What we need are qualified candidates who can truly serve the people, not puppets controlled by politicians or officials.
He revealed to Epoch Times that some politicians were operating behind the scenes, pressuring the council to try to elect Venus Johnson as prosecutor, who is favored by California Attorney General Bonta. He emphasized that political transparency is crucial for the residents of Alameda County.
Carl Chan, a Chinese community leader and co-founder of SAFE (Save Alameda for Everyone), representing 375,000 voters, shared with Epoch Times that they successfully removed the former prosecutor, Pamela Price, through the vote. The purpose of today’s gathering is to remind the council to be accountable to the voters and ensure that the elected district attorney truly serves the people.
Wendy Huang, who ran for Union City City Council, expressed to Epoch Times, “We worked hard to remove Pamela Price. Oakland finally has a chance for change, and we cannot let political deals influence the choice. We need to support candidates that the people truly want.” ◇