Diana Becton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Diana Becton
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| District Attorney of Contra Costa County | |
| Assumed office September 18, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Peterson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 16, 1951 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | San Francisco State University (BA) Golden Gate University (JD) Pacific School of Religion (MTS) |
Diana Becton, born on August 16, 1951, is a very important person in California's legal system. She used to be a trial judge. Today, she is the district attorney for Contra Costa County. This means she is the chief prosecutor for the county. She made history by being the first woman and the first African American person to be elected to this role in Contra Costa County.
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Diana Becton's Early Life and Education
Diana Becton grew up in Oakland and went to public schools there. She studied Economics at San Francisco State University and earned a bachelor's degree. Later, she went to Golden Gate University School of Law and became a lawyer. She also has a special degree in Theology from the Pacific School of Religion.
Her Career Before Becoming District Attorney
Before becoming a judge, Diana Becton worked for the city of Richmond. She helped with housing projects from 1979 to 1987. After that, she worked as a private lawyer until 1995.
In 1995, the Governor of California, Pete Wilson, chose her to be a judge for the Contra Costa County Superior Court. She served as a judge for 22 years. In 2011, her fellow judges chose her to be the presiding judge. This meant she was in charge of how the court was run.
Becoming the Contra Costa County District Attorney
In 2017, the previous District Attorney, Mark Peterson, left his job. The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors looked for someone new. Diana Becton was chosen from many people who wanted the job.
She was sworn in as District Attorney on September 18, 2017. When she applied, she said she wanted to make changes to the justice system. She wanted to help people who had been in prison get back into society.
Winning the Election for District Attorney
Diana Becton decided to run for election to keep her job as District Attorney. In June 2018, she won the election. This made her the first African American woman to be elected District Attorney in the county's long history. Many groups that support social justice helped her campaign.
Important Changes and Cases
In 2019, Diana Becton started a special team to look at old cases. This team checks if anyone was wrongly convicted of a crime. They helped dismiss some convictions where police officer testimony was later questioned. This happened after a new state law, SB 1421, made some police records available to the public.
In July 2020, her office charged two people with a hate crime. This was for allegedly damaging a Black Lives Matter mural.
In April 2021, her office filed charges against a former police officer. This was for a shooting that happened in 2018. Diana Becton said the officer used "unreasonable and unnecessary force." A jury found the officer guilty of assault with a deadly weapon. In March 2022, the officer was sentenced to six years in prison.
In the June 2022 election, Diana Becton won re-election. She campaigned on keeping the community safe and making sure public officials are held accountable.
Personal Life
Diana Becton grew up in East Oakland. She lives in El Sobrante, California.
In 2020, she married Dr. Alvin Bernstine, who is a pastor.
See also
- List of African-American jurists
- List of district attorneys by county
