Alameda Co. Da To Remain Prosecutors In Case Against Police Officer

SAN LEANDRO, CA — The Alameda County District Attorney's Office will remain the prosecutors in a criminal case against former San Leandro Police Officer Jason Fletcher following an Alameda County Superior Court judge's ruling Friday morning.

Fletcher's attorney Michael Rains failed to convince Judge Thomas Reardon that District Attorney Pamela Price's office would be biased against Fletcher.

Reardon considered Rains' April 26 motion to disqualify the whole district attorney's office from the case, which accuses Fletcher of voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Steven Taylor at a San Leandro Walmart in 2020.

"This was a victory for us," Addie Kitchen, Taylor's grandmother, said after the judge's ruling.

She called it the best thing that's ever happened. Kitchen previously said she thinks Rains is making her and others jump through a myriad of hoops in their quest seeking justice for Taylor. Friday, she maintained that position.

Rains argued that comments Price made about the case, and among other things, donations she took, show that she and/or her office will be unfair in prosecuting Fletcher.

But the state Attorney General's Office said in a brief that Price has made no changes to the case, such as charging Fletcher with murder.

Fletcher's defense team wanted the Attorney General's Office to prosecute the case.

Rains pledged in an email Friday afternoon to appeal Reardon's decision.

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