State Senator honors Contra Costa DA as 'Woman of the Year'

March 29-- Mar. 29--SACRAMENTO -- In a recognition of her work as a judge and efforts on progressive justice reform, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton was honored as this year's "Woman of the Year" by one of the East Bay's state senators.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, named Becton, who worked as a lawyer, then a judge before becoming district attorney, as the Woman of the Year for California'sNinth Senate District. A news release from Skinner's office says Becton has worked at "disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline, reducing recidivism and incarceration rates, creating safe alternatives for low-level nonviolent offenders and addressing the mental health needs of the community."

"This recognition from Sen. Skinner highlights the work we all do as a community to keep Contra Costa County safe," Becton said in a written statement. "I will continue to lead my office into the direction of ensuring accountability within our criminal justice system, providing services to those impacted by crime, and collaborating with all of our partners to improve public safety. We must continue to advocate for policies that keep our communities safe, while also working toward a fairer and more equitable and transparent criminal justice system."

Becton is both the first woman and first African-American to serve as Contra Costa County district attorney, in the nearly 170 years the office has existed; she was elected last June. Before becoming district attorney, she was president of the National Association of Women Judges.

Skinner has been on the forefront of recent efforts to reform California's justice system, and since her September 2017 appointment as district attorney, Becton has brought some notable progressive changes to the office. She abolished juvenile justice fees three months after taking office, and recently pledged to publicly release reports on officer-involved fatalities.

Skinner is the co-author of two recent justice reform bills that have revamped how serious crimes can be prosecuted, including SB 1437, which limits when prosecutors can charge accomplices with murder when someone dies during the commission of a felony. Becton's office oversaw the release of the state's first SB 1437 defendant to get a murder conviction overturned, a man whose accomplice impulsively stabbed someone to death during a robbery.

Skinner also co-authored SB 1391, which says children less than 16 years old cannot be charged as adults. Becton's office made the news last month when a prosecutor abstained from a murder case in protest because he said the district attorney would not let him challenge the law in court. As a result, a 15-year-old who admitted to killing a woman was sentenced to seven years juvenile detention, and avoided a life sentence.

Becton is the current chair of the California State Bar Council on Access and Fairness, and served as presiding judge during her 22 years on the bench. During her run for district attorney, she spoke about bail reform, reducing recidivism, bridging gaps between law enforcement and people in the community who are distrustful of police and serving as an example to help minority communities feel less disenfranchised.

"Diana Becton has had an extraordinary legal career, both as a judge and as an attorney, and she richly deserves this honor," Skinner said in a written statement. "She is also a forward-thinking district attorney, dedicated to addressing racial and economic disparities in our criminal justice system."

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