Prosecutors' offices must have the capacity to effectively and efficiently fulfill their ethical obligations. Performance indicators centered on the goals of Capacity and Efficiency assess whether the DA's Office has the staffing/resources it needs, prioritizes cases in a way to make efficient and effective use of those resources, and resolves cases in a timely manner. Download and view aggregate data behind these charts here.
What kinds of questions can we ask? We can think about this as answering a few questions: Is the Office staffed the way we want it staffed? Are we making decisions effectively, by dismissing bad cases or diverting the appropriate cases? Are we making decisions efficiently within appropriate timelines and by prioritizing the right cases?
Data on this site are based on the most detailed information available at the time of publication. All data will be regularly updated as more details about cases become available. There are many factors that could affect the results on these Indicators. The data presented here are intended to show general patterns and to highlight areas that might need further investigation. For more details on data and definitions, read our glossary.
Identifying dismissible cases at the case screening stage reduces negative consequences for defendants, victims, and the criminal justice system.
The charts below show the percent of cases declined at initial review by quarter. The declination rate for felony charges in Alameda County was 19% in 2024, comparable to its neighbors across the bay, San Francisco, where the felony rejection rate in 2023 was 37%, though higher than the felony rejection rate in other California counties; for example, in Yolo County it was 25% and in Santa Clara County it was 23%. Overall, the declination rate for felony cases in Alameda County increased 15 percentage points between 2020 and 2023, though trended downward in 2024. The declination rate of misdemeanor cases steadily increased between 2017 and 2023, but also declined more recently.
High volumes of minor felony and misdemeanor filings can overwhelm prosecutor’s offices and take away time and resources from more serious cases that pose greater public safety risks. The chart below shows the percent of cases filed with a felony as the top charge by quarter.
In the third quarter of 2020, the percent of cases filed as felonies rose 10 percentage points – likely because the overall filing of misdemeanor cases fell during the early months of the COVID pandemic and focus shifted towards prioritizing the most serious crimes. Since then, the percent of cases filed as felonies has trended closer to pre-COVID levels