Yolo County supervisors voted Tuesday to fast-track a short, public process to choose a replacement for longtime District Attorney Jeff Reisig, who retired earlier this month after nearly 20 years at the helm. The board told county staff to recruit and screen applicants, with finalists expected to face public interviews in late June. Chief Deputy District Attorney Melinda Aiello, whom Reisig tapped to oversee the Esparto fireworks prosecutions, quickly surfaced as the early favorite as supervisors talked up the need for stability while high-stakes cases move forward.
Supervisors rejected both an immediate one-and-done appointment and a drawn-out, months-long community process in favor of a compressed but competitive plan, according to The Sacramento Bee. Under the approach, county staff will screen applicants, present finalists to the board for open-session interviews, and collect written answers from candidates that will be released before the hearings. Whoever is tapped will serve until voters pick the next district attorney in the November 2028 election.
How the fast track is supposed to work
County staff outlined a short recruitment window, an initial screening panel, and a target for public interviews at the Board of Supervisors' June 23 meeting, according to Yolo County meeting materials. Yolo County says applications will be treated as public records, with personal contact details removed before posting. Reporting from the Davis Vanguard notes that staff recommended the county administrator, county counsel and the human resources director serve as the first-round evaluation panel.
Reisig’s exit and the Esparto prosecutions
Reisig told supervisors in a letter that his last day would be May 15, closing out nearly two decades as Yolo County’s elected district attorney. His retirement came on the heels of prosecutors' work on the Esparto fireworks explosion, where a grand jury returned indictments charging eight people in connection with the deadly July 2025 blast. Reisig called the probe the most complex case of his career, according to The Sacramento Bee. Before he stepped down, Reisig assigned Aiello to oversee the Esparto prosecutions, and several supervisors said keeping continuity in the office while those cases unfold is a top priority.
Where candidates and critics stand
During the board’s debate, Aiello emerged as the leading contender, yet supervisors were clearly split over how wide to open the process, the Davis Vanguard reported. Some members warned that a lengthy public search could drag down morale and stall decision-making inside the DA’s office. Others pushed for more community forums and broader public input so residents could size up several candidates in real time. The compromise was a round of public interviews before the board itself, which supervisors argued would keep things transparent without turning the appointment into an endless political spectacle.
What the law requires
State law gives county supervisors broad leeway in filling a vacancy like this but also tells them to act “within a reasonable time.” California Government Code section 25304 directs boards to fill such vacancies by appointment for the remainder of the term, according to FindLaw. In practical terms, that means the board’s pick will shape prosecutions and criminal justice policy in Yolo County until the next eligible election.
Next up, county staff will recruit candidates and bring back a short list of finalists for public interviews at the June 23 Board of Supervisors meeting. Residents can track the process, including posted applications, on the county’s board agenda page at Yolo County. The county also plans to publish finalists’ written responses before the interviews so the public can review where each contender stands before they step up to the microphone.
