Statement from District Attorney Pamela Price Regarding Offer of Cal Guard Attorney Being Rescinded
July 12, 2024
OAKLAND, CA— I would like to share with the public my office’s efforts to partner with Governor Newsom and the Attorney General’s office. While I wish the memorandum for temporarily onboarding a single Cal Guard attorney for 60 days to prosecute drug cases had been resolved sooner, assigning a lawyer to a case for 60 days is not particularly significant because our drug cases last longer than that. Unfortunately, while trying to resolve these issues, the governor decided to rescind the offer.
Regarding the timeline, it is important for the public to know that the contingent of three Cal Guard attorneys was on assignment in San Francisco when my office received and accepted the governor’s offer of assistance back in February. Although we agreed to the partnership in February, we were not given any timeline for when the Cal Guard attorney’s assignment in SF would end and their new assignment in Alameda County could begin, nor did we receive any specific offer of assistance from the California Attorney General’s office.
The conversation with the JAG and the AG’s office picked up in April and continued in May. We received a draft MOU in April. Our team met with the JAG commander in April and May and interviewed the proposed candidate. It is my understanding that the single CAL Guard attorney was only available to work in our office from June 1st to August 12th at the latest. I welcome the opportunity to speak personally with the governor to resolve any misunderstandings and move forward with any assistance from his office.
In the meantime, Assistant District Attorney Michael Nieto continues to perform his assigned duties in an admirable and professional manner and continues to have my confidence in his role as an assistant district attorney. We have identified his successor should the Governor choose to proceed with his nomination to the bench, and Mr. Nieto is collaborating with the other members of our team to ensure a smooth transition. We appreciate his service, professionalism, and commitment to the residents of Alameda County as we do for the numerous deputy district attorneys prosecuting felony drug cases in this county.
Contact: damedia@acgov.org
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office (DAO) is one of California’s largest prosecutors’ offices and is led by Alameda County’s first Black woman District Attorney Pamela Y. Price. Price brings her vision to this office to fairly administer justice in the pursuit of thriving, healthy, and safe communities for every person who steps foot in Alameda County, no matter their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, income, or zip code. Price has been recognized as one of the most progressive prosecutors through her forward-thinking, innovative strategies to interrupt cycles of violence and crime and bring change to a criminal justice system rooted in systemic racism. Follow Madam DA on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and @AlamedaCountyda on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.