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Alameda County — Criminal Defense Intelligence

Comprehensive data for the Bay Area's second-largest county by criminal filings: court, judicial, sentencing, prosecution, and pretrial data — all in one place.

Criminal Filings

39,200

Judges

65/72

Vacancies

7

PD Budget

$72M

Pretrial Rate

71%

Median Bail

$50K

Court Data

FY 2023–24 · Source: Judicial Council of California

Criminal Filings

39,200

annual

Felonies

11,600

30% of filings

Misdemeanors

27,600

70% of filings

Dispositions

36,800

annual

Clearance Rate

93.9%

Backlog growing

Days to Disposition

175

average

Cases per Judge

603

criminal filings / filled judge

Backlog Growth

+5.1%

year-over-year

Warning Signal

Alameda has a 93.9% clearance rate and 5.1% annual backlog growth. With 13,400 pending cases, the court is not resolving cases as fast as they come in. This means longer wait times and increased plea pressure.

Judicial Bench Profile

2024 · Judicial Council Demographic Survey

Authorized Judges

72

Filled Judges

65

Vacancies

7

9.7%

Commissioners

12

Gender

Male
33 (51%)
Female
31 (48%)
Nonbinary
1 (2%)

Race/Ethnicity

White
24 (37%)
Black
14 (22%)
Hispanic/Latino
11 (17%)
Asian/Pacific Islander
12 (18%)
Multiracial
2 (3%)
Other
2 (3%)

Prior Career Background

Private Practice
22 (34%)
Prosecutor
18 (28%)
Public Defender
14 (22%)
Government
8 (12%)
Other
3 (5%)

Note: Public defenders are underrepresented on the bench (22%) compared to prosecutors (28%). This can influence courtroom culture.

Appointing Governor

Gov. Newsom
28 (43%)
Gov. Brown
22 (34%)
Gov. Schwarzenegger
10 (15%)
Gov. Davis
5 (8%)

Newsom appointments dominate the bench, representing 43% of current judges.

Retirement Wave Ahead

16 of 65 judges (24.6%) will be retirement-eligible within 5 years. Combined with 7 existing vacancies, Alameda could lose up to 23 of 72 judgeships — a 32% shortfall.

Prosecution & Funding Parity

FY 2023–24 · County Budget Documents

Budget Comparison

DA Budget

$113M

195 attorneys

Ratio

0.64

Defense per $1 DA

PD Budget

$72M

128 attorneys

DA: 61%PD: 39%

Decline Rate

14.2%

cases declined

Diversion Rate

8.8%

referred to diversion

Felony Filing Rate

702

per 100K population

Attorney Ratio

0.66

PD per DA attorney

DA Specialized Units

HomicideSexual AssaultGangsWhite CollarEnvironmentalConsumer ProtectionCivil Rights

Pretrial & Bail Data

2023 · BSCC Jail Profile Survey, PPIC

Avg Daily Jail Pop.

2,420

60.5% capacity

Pretrial Rate

71%

1,718 detainees

Median Bail

$50K

Avg: $82K

Pretrial Days

28

average

Release Types

Own Recognizance
32%
Bail
24%
Pretrial Supervision
18%
Cite-and-Release
16%
Other
10%

FTA Rate

14.2%

failure to appear

Risk Tool

PSA

PSA (Public Safety Assessment)

Specialty Courts

8

collaborative courts

Specialty & Collaborative Courts

Alameda County Superior Court

Drug Court

Supervised treatment as alternative to incarceration for defendants with substance use disorders

Mental Health Court

Integrated mental health services for defendants with serious mental illness

Veterans Court

Specialized services for veterans with service-connected criminal cases

DUI Court

Intensive supervision and treatment for repeat DUI offenders

Community Court

Community-based resolution for low-level misdemeanor offenses

Reentry Court

Support for individuals transitioning from incarceration to community

Human Trafficking Court

Services for trafficking victims identified in the criminal justice system

Clean Slate Court

Assistance with expungement and record reduction under Prop 47/PC 1203.4

Alameda County Data Sources

Public access & court records

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