Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s office has been disqualified from prosecuting former San Leandro police officer Jason Fletcher in a manslaughter case, as ruled by Alameda County Judge Thomas Reardon. This marks the second time this year that Price’s office has been removed from a case due to concerns about her impartiality. The decision came after Fletcher’s attorney, Michael Rains, successfully argued for Price’s disqualification.
The case will now be transferred to the California Attorney General’s Office, although Price has the option to appeal the decision. Rains praised the judge’s ruling, stating that it was necessary due to Price’s own actions and decisions. Price’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
This development adds another twist to a high-profile manslaughter prosecution that has seen ongoing disputes between the attorneys involved. The judge’s decision comes almost 10 months after Price was initially removed from the case, and follows a previous denial of Rains’ motion to disqualify her.
Rains presented several new arguments in his recent filing, alleging instances of bias on Price’s part over the past 10 months. One such instance involved a photograph of Price posing with supporters wearing “Justice for Steven Taylor” shirts, taken on the same day her office served Rains with a motion seeking his removal from the case. Taylor was the civilian who died during a confrontation with Fletcher in April 2020.
Price has been vocal about Taylor’s death and has advocated for holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions. She established a Public Accountability Unit and expressed intentions to reinvestigate several cases, including fatal police shootings and in-custody deaths. However, her office has faced pushback in other instances, such as when another judge disqualified them from prosecuting a former employee, alleging a significant conflict of interest.
