The halls of Alameda County’s justice system just got a whole lot messier.

District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson is throwing a wrench into what could have been a landmark moment for racial justice by systematically withdrawing resentencing recommendations for death row inmates who were likely victims of egregious prosecutorial misconduct.

A Legacy of Systemic Racism

The backstory is as infuriating as it is predictable. Former DA Pamela Price uncovered decades of racist jury selection practices where prosecutors literally wrote notes describing potential Black and Jewish jurors with horrifying stereotypes - like calling a Black woman a “Short, Fat, Troll” and explicitly stating they didn’t want Jewish jurors.

The Reversal Heard 'Round the County

Jones Dickson is now pulling back recommendations that would have provided some semblance of justice for people like Grayland Winbush, a Black man sentenced to death at 19 who was systematically denied a fair trial. Her office claims they’re “reevaluating” the cases, but activists like Michael Collins from Color of Change aren’t buying it.

A System That Refuses to Change

This isn’t just about individual cases - it’s about a deeply entrenched system that continues to protect its own. Research shows Black and Latino defendants are six to nine times more likely to receive the death penalty, and Jones Dickson’s actions feel like a direct pushback against any meaningful accountability.

The message is clear: some people in power would rather maintain a broken system than confront its deeply racist foundations.