Newsom Selects DA Becton To Serve On CA Victim Compensation Board

MARTINEZ, CA — Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton was recently selected by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve on the California Victim Compensation Board as the sole public member of the three-person board.

The California Victim Compensation Board — CalVCB — is a state program dedicated to providing reimbursement for many crime-related expenses to eligible victims who suffer physical injury or the threat of physical injury as a direct result of a violent crime. CalVCB funding comes from restitution paid by criminal offenders through fines, orders, penalty assessments and federal funds.

The position Becton was selected for does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem, according to a statement from the governor's office.

"I am proud to join the Victim Compensation Board to ensure victims of crime and their families are compensated and protected," Becton said. "I will bring my decades of legal and management experience to aid the Board and victims."

Becton, 69, of El Sobrante, served as a Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge for 22 years, including one term as the presiding judge.

She was appointed district attorney in 2017 to complete the term of former District Attorney Mark Peterson, who resigned. Becton, a Democrat, then retained her seat by winning the 2018 election.

Becton earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Golden Gate University School of Law and is a member of California District Attorneys Association, California Association of Black Lawyers, Charles Houston Bar Association, Prosecutors Alliance and Fair and Just Prosecution.

She is also a member and past president of the National Association of Women Judges, and a member and former chairperson of the State Bar of California Council on Access and Fairness.