Former Alameda County Superior Court judge Ursula Jones Dickson was sworn in as the Alameda County District Attorney this week.
Jones Dickson was named to the role by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in late January after voters recalled district attorney Pamela Price in November. Price’s deputy Royl Roberts had been serving in the role on an interim basis before Jones Dickson was selected from a group of 15 applicants.
Jones Dickson was a deputy district attorney for the county from 1998 to 2013, before being named a superior court judge by then-governor Jerry Brown, according to a press release from the DA’s office.
She was sworn in by California Appeals Court Judge Charles Smiley in a ceremony in the county Board of Supervisors chambers.
“We need to get back to business,” Jones Dickson said in a press conference that was streamed on X following the appointment.
“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,” she said.
Price was recalled amid voter anger about a perception of infighting in the DA’s office and allegations that she was too lenient on violent crime.
Jones Dickson will serve as the appointed district attorney until 2026, when an election will be held to fill the remainder of Price’s term ending in 2028.
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