Chief Assistant Royl Roberts takes over as Acting Alameda County District Attorney until February 2025

OAKLAND — Royl Roberts, Chief Assistant to former Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, has temporarily taken the leadership position at the District Attorney's Office after Price was recalled and stepped down. Roberts heads the DA Office until an interim District Attorney is appointed by the County's Board of Supervisors in February 2025.

Once the Alameda County Registrar of Voters certified the November 5 election results on December 5 in which Price was recalled by 62.92% of county voters, Price ended her 2-year tenure on the same day as the Alameda County's first African American District Attorney.

"At 5 P.M. Thursday, December 5, 2024, Chief Assistant District Attorney Royl L. Roberts assumed leadership of the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. He will occupy the position until further notice," the DA's office said in a brief statement on December 6.

Roberts was appointed by Price as her Chief Assistant District Attorney when she took office in January 2023. Price was recalled by the majority of voters in Alameda County who believed she was too lenient on defendants and insensitive to crime victims.

When Roberts was interviewed by news media on his new position as the Acting DA, he had made it public that he might be also interested in applying for the job.

Roberts has limited experience as a prosecutor. He announced that three chiefs of prosecution were appointed in the District Attorney's Office to help with a continuity of prosecution within the office. Three Chiefs have had a combined experience of 83 years in the Alameda County DA office.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on December 10 unanimously voted to approve a process for appointing an interim district attorney to replace Price.

It was expected by the Board of Supervisors that the selection process would be ended by the first week of February.

The Board was committed to an open application process. The deadline for submission is January 6 at 5pm.

During the week of January 13, the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to name finalists from applicants in a public meeting. Supervisors will interview candidates and make final selection by the end of January.

The incoming appointed interim District Attorney will serve the rest of Price’s term until the end of 2026. An election for the County's District Attorney will be held in November 2026.

Save Alameda For Everyone (SAVE), organizers of the successful campaign to recall Price, said they hoped that the county's next top prosecutor would be tough on crime and provide a safer future for all.

"The SAFE team will recommend DA candidates to the County Board of Supervisors," SAFE stated and encouraged interested applicants to be in touch with them via its website (www.recallpamelaprice.org) for consideration.