District Attorney Diana Becton recently released her office’s 2025 Annual Report, highlighting a 96 percent conviction rate in felony trials. The office won 25 out of 26 trials, which is 15 percent higher than the California state average. Becton stated she is proud of this milestone and credited the hard work of her attorneys, investigators, and support staff.
The report also touts the implementation of new justice reforms. While the Homicide Unit saw a 93 percent conviction rate, the office also focused on programs that offer alternatives to jail. One such program, the Neighborhood Restorative Partnership, had a 1 percent reoffending rate among its graduates, according to the report.
Other major achievements in 2025 included solving several cold cases using DNA technology and finishing a public corruption investigation that led to guilty pleas from six former officers of the Antioch and Pittsburg police departments. The office also served over 10,600 crime victims and opened a new branch office in Pittsburg to make justice services easier to reach for East County residents.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office serves 1.15 million people and has about 250 employees. You can read the full report at contracostada.org.
Report highlights:
- 96% Felony Trial Conviction Rate: The Direct Court Unit won 25 out of 26 felony trials, beating the California state average of 81 percent by 15 percentage points.
- 93% Homicide Conviction Rate: The Homicide Unit conducted 15 trials, resulting in 12 murder convictions and two manslaughter convictions.
- 85% Interpersonal Violence Conviction Rate: This unit, which handles domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse, reached this rate across 20 trials.
- 1% Recidivism Rate for Restorative Justice: Out of 119 people who completed the Neighborhood Restorative Partnership program, only one person reoffended, compared to a 21.1 percent statewide average for misdemeanors.
- Varying Case Filing Percentages: The office filed charges on 90 percent of murder cases submitted by police, 84 percent of reckless evading cases, 82 percent of DUI cases, and 78 percent of robbery cases.
- $9.8 Million in Restitution: The Victim Witness Assistance Program secured this amount in financial recovery while serving over 10,600 victims with 48,000 different services.
- 100% Conviction Rate in Police Corruption Probe: All six cases involving Antioch and Pittsburg police officers investigated for bribery and corruption ended in guilty pleas.
- 41 ICAC Arrests: The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested 41 individuals on state and federal charges related to child exploitation.
- Cold Case Success: The Cold Case Unit used DNA and genetic genealogy to solve murders dating back to the 1990s, including the 30-year-old murder of Terrie Ladwig.
- New Pittsburg Branch: A new office opened on Railroad Avenue on Dec. 15, 2025, to house 30 staff members and improve justice access for East County residents.