(MILITARY PROSECUTORS TO CALIFORNIA.)

Newsom sends California National Guard attorneys to prosecute Alameda County cases

The announcement comes after the governor redeployed state resources previously assigned to DA Pamela Price’s office, and quadrupled the number of shifts for California Highway Patrol officers in Oakland.

Natalie Hanson / August 2, 2024

OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) — California Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday he’s taken the next step to boost prosecutions of criminal cases in Alameda County by sending California National Guard attorneys to help.

Newsom said Friday that state officials finalized a memorandum of understanding with the California Department of Justice, following nearly five months spent in talks with Alameda County’s District Attorney Pamela Price. He aims to crack down on cases involving narcotics violations, following up a similar partnership in San Francisco with District Attorney Brooke Jenkins.

"Today we’re advancing accountability and justice for East Bay communities, by quickly securing an agreement to provide additional resources to prosecute criminal behavior,” the governor said Friday.

The announcement comes after Newsom redeployed state attorneys previously assigned to Price’s office, saying that the chief prosecutor did not take the initial steps needed to deputize National Guard attorneys. The operations are part of Newsom’s focus on narcotics and traffic crime in Alameda County, despite the fact that overall crime in most categories is down in Oakland year over year.

Newsom also recently quadrupled the number of shifts which California Highway Patrol officers conduct in Oakland, focusing on investigations into possible narcotics violations. Since he launched CHP’s surge operation in Oakland six months ago, state authorities have arrested 562 people.

The increased surge operation will be in effect through October, officials said.

https://www.courthousenews.com/newsom-sends-california-national-guard-attorneys-to-prosecute-alameda-county-cases/