Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s Office Joins Settlement Agreement with Quest Diagnostics Over Improper Disposal of Hazardous Waste and Customers’ Private Health Information February 15, 2024 Oakland, CA— Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price joined a coalition of District Attorney Offices (DA) along with the Attorney General’s Office to announce a settlement agreement with Quest Diagnostics for its improper disposal of customers’ private health information, as well as hazardous/universal and medical waste. Quest Diagnostics agreed to pay $4,999,500 in civil penalties, costs, and Supplemental Environmental Projects and to a five-year injunction to ensure the laboratory diagnostic company’s future compliance with environmental hazardous waste control and privacy laws. The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office will receive $364,440 from the agreement. “California laws are designed to protect not only our environment but our individual privacy as well. Medical privacy laws require businesses that obtain personal information to…

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price Resubmits Charges Against Three Defendants in the Kevin Nishita Murder Case February 9, 2024 Oakland, CA— Following a comprehensive reevaluation of the evidence, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announces new charges against the three men accused of murdering Kevin Nishita and robbing two other victims in 2021. Laron Gilbert (29) is charged with murder, attempted robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon. Hershel Hale (26) is charged with murder, attempted robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon. Shadihia Mitchell (27) is charged with murder, attempted robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon. In the new complaint filed today and approved by District Attorney Pamela Price, all three men will face gang and gun enhancements for the first time since 2021. “We have an obligation to get it right, and these charges are consistent with the actual evidence in the…

Governor Gavin Newsom Sends Additional Resources to Help Prosecute Organized Retail Theft Cases in Alameda County February 8, 2024 Oakland, CA—As he did last summer in San Francisco, California, Governor Gavin Newsom is now sending attorneys from the Judge Advocate General (JAG) to bolster the effort to prosecute organized retail crime and fentanyl-related drug cases in Alameda County. The joint effort includes the Department of Justice teaming up with the governor and DA Pamela Price, providing legal services and law enforcement expertise in prosecuting major illegal enterprises. “This new partnership signals that state and county law enforcement are seizing the moment to work together in aggressively prosecuting people who do harm to folks who live, work, and play in Alameda County,” said DA Price. “Prosecutors in my office are leading that fight every day here locally in Alameda County, and we welcome the assistance offered…

DA Pamela Price’s Vertical Prosecution Unit, Ready to Combat Organized Retail Crime in Alameda County February 2, 2024 OAKLAND, CA – Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price activated her office’s Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit in January to combat organized retail theft. Local police agencies are now referring retail theft cases for investigation and prosecution. The ORCA Unit advances a focused approach to dismantle the infrastructure behind these crimes through partnerships with law enforcement agencies, retailers, and small businesses throughout the county. The work involves Bay Area prosecutors from neighboring counties sharing data, crime analytics, and pooling investigative tools to successfully prosecute defendants accused of participating in organized retail theft schemes. “Thanks to a total combined $4 million investment from a state-funded grant and funding from our DA’s office, the ORCA Unit is now up and running,” said Tara Regan Anderson, Assistant…