Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price on Monday conceded defeat in the recall election that has removed her from office.
Speaking at a press conference in Downtown Oakland, Price said: "I thank you for the honor of serving you as your district attorney and I applaud you for going to the polls in 2022 and believing in the possibility of reforming the criminal justice system after 100 years here in Alameda County.”
The DA didn't say what her plans are now that she's leaving office and didn't take any questions from reporters.
During the somewhat somber event, Price took the opportunity to remind people that her commitment to criminal justice reform guided her approach to the office.
She listed several programs and accomplishments of which she is most proud, including increasing the number of victim advocates by 38 percent and making strides to hire a more diverse staff, including Mandarin and Cantonese speakers.
A former civil rights attorney, Price came into office in 2023, winning her election with roughly 53 percent of the vote and becoming the first African American woman to hold the county's top prosecutor job.
At the time, she was clear about her reform-minded policies, including not tacking on enhancements to charges in order to win longer prison terms in criminal cases, not charging juveniles as adults and finding alternatives to prison or jail for certain defendants, among other things.
Soon after she took office, opponents launched a petition drive and ultimately gathered enough signatures to place her name on a recall ballot. They alleged that her progressive reform platform was too soft on criminals and led to increasing crime -- making her the first district attorney in the county's history to face a recall.
