Following the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, Royl Roberts, the former chief assistant DA, has stepped into the role of the interim district attorney. After Price's official departure last Friday, Roberts has outlined his approach to managing the DA's office until a new DA is elected in November 2026.

Roberts, who was appointed interim DA by Price herself before her relegation, has emphasized that his focus will be on the smooth operation of the office rather than courtroom prosecution, considering his background in management and not as a criminal prosecutor. "Well, first what I would like to say is I'm not Pamela Price," Roberts said in an interview, "I'm Royl Roberts and I see my role as a little different. The voters have spoken, and I think it's important to listen to the voters when they do speak. I see my job and my role as bridging this timeframe until the next person runs for this office on a permanent basis. I want to do what's best for Alameda County. And that is to use my expertise to continue the operations of this office," according to CBS News San Francisco.

Brenda Grisham, an anti-gun violence activist who was influential in the recall of Price, questioned the qualifications of Price’s appointees, including Roberts. "Well, we all understand that most of the personnel that she hired weren't qualified for the positions that they were hired for," Grisham expressed, as per CBS News San Francisco. She added, "He was the second in command, so now he's the first in command. But him being a permanent leader? I doubt that very seriously."

Roberts' immediate actions upon taking office included assigning Jimmie Wilson, Catherine Kobal, and Jim Meehan as chiefs of prosecutions, noting their cumulative 83 years of prosecutorial experience. Despite his lack of experience as a prosecutor, Roberts remains confident in his ability to manage the office, which comprises 430 employees and operates with a budget of $100 million a year. "This is really a person who has a wide variety of managerial responsibilities. Like any good manager, what I've done is put the experts in a position to assist me in running this operation," as cited by CBS News San Francisco.

While Roberts has announced he will not run in the upcoming 2026 election, the Board of Supervisors has been working on a timeline for selecting a permanent replacement, with the new interim DA set to be sworn in by January 28, 2025. The process began with the board's expectation to adopt procedures today, with the application period opening the following day, and the board decided on a selection by January 16. A public interview with the finalists is on the calendar for January 13, according to KTVU.