February 18, 2025
Oakland, CA – Today, Ursula Jones Dickson was appointed as the new District Attorney of Alameda County. Ms. Jones Dickson was sworn into office by California Appeals Court Judge Charles Smiley before a large gathering of her family, friends, and supporters in the Chamber of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. The audience was also filled with many past and current members of the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson began her legal career in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, where she was hired by then-District Attorney Thomas J. Orloff. She served as a Deputy District Attorney from 1998 to 2013 before Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to the bench at the Alameda County Superior Court, where she has served for the past 12 years.
“The job is the job. We need to do the job of a District Attorney,” DA Ursula Jones Dickson told reporters at a press conference Tuesday. “We need to get back to business. That just means, for me, that we keep the main thing, the main thing. This is a District Attorney’s Office. We will do the work of a District Attorney and in addition to that, hopefully facilitate other things in the community, but we have to do what the community is asking us to do first. We must return to prioritizing public safety and the rights of victims. Under my leadership as DA, that is what we will do.”
In December 2024, Ursula Jones Dickson was selected from a group of 15 applicants to fill the seat of former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price who was recalled by the voters of the county in November of 2024. After an extensive interview and vetting process, that included community participation in public hearings, the Board of Supervisors selected Ursula Jones Dickson. Ms. Ursula Jones Dickson will serve as the appointed District Attorney until 2026.
Contact: damedia@acgov.org
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office (ACDAO) is one of the largest prosecutor’s offices in California. Each year, our office receives over 40,000 cases from law enforcement for prosecution. The ACDAO operates from nine locations and employs 150 attorneys, 35 victim-witness advocates, 75 inspectors, and 130 operations staff members. We are committed to administering justice for the people who live, work, and play in Alameda County, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income, or zip code