Last September, Contra Costa County’s Board of Supervisors appointed retired Superior Court Judge Diana Becton as interim district attorney, making her the first woman and first African-American to hold this position. The position became open after a scandal forced the resignation of then DA Mark Petersen. She now seeks to remove the “interim” from her title as she competes in the June 5th election for District Attorney.
Indivisible East Bay's CA-11 Team unanimously endorsed Becton for the DA position. We strongly urge all Contra Costa County residents to vote for Judge Becton. “Lower down on the ballot” offices are too often overlooked by voters, due to a lack of name recognition, uncertainty as to the positions of the candidates, or a mistaken belief that these offices don’t matter. Don’t let this happen here!
Prior to her current position, Becton was a Judge in Contra Costa for over two decades and was elected by her colleagues as the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court for the First District Court of Appeals. The District Attorney position critically affects the lives of many county residents. The DA has the power to decide whether criminal charges are brought against an individual, the severity of the charges, whether the person is diverted to a system such as mental health, and the priority of cases. Becton has worked especially hard to improve diversion programs for our youth, for low level crimes and for people with mental illness who need treatment, not punishment.
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Vote Becton on June 5th!