Recall effort against Contra Costa DA Diana Becton launched

Diana Becton, the District Attorney of Contra Costa County, is facing a recall effort. Earlier this week, she received a "Notice of Intent to Recall." The recall is led by families, including the relatives of slain Oakley woman Alexis Gabe. Gwyn Gabe, Alexis’s father, spoke in support of the recall on Saturday. He called it a grassroots movement aimed at holding Becton accountable for her actions. Alexis was murdered in January 2022, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, Marshall Jones, who was later killed by police. The Gabe family believes Jones's mother helped dispose of Alexis's body, but the DA decided there wasn't enough evidence to charge her. Gwyn Gabe expressed frustration with Becton and stated that this recall aims to protect other families from similar injustices. Legal analyst Paula Canny highlighted that the recall process allows voters to seek change when they are unhappy with their leaders. This recall effort follows similar actions against other district attorneys in the Bay Area, such as Chesa Boudin from San Francisco and Pamela Price from Alameda County. Canny noted that Becton has a strong background, having served as a judge for 22 years. The group leading the recall consists of ten people who criticize Becton for a perceived cycle of crime and a lack of transparency. Becton has chosen not to comment on the situation. She now has seven days to respond to the recall notice. If the recall organizers get their petition approved, they will have 160 days to gather 76,000 signatures to bring the recall to a vote.