Leaders of Contra Costa Co. DA recall effort include family of slain Oakley woman Alexis Gabe

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- A third Bay Area district attorney is now facing a recall effort.

Earlier this week, Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton was served with a "Notice of Intent to Recall." Families pushing for that recall spoke out on Saturday.

"I'm here today to express my family's full support for this recall initiative," said Gwyn Gabe.

Gabe said it's a grassroots effort and an earnest push to recall Becton.

Video shows the moment on Monday when Becton was served with a letter of intent to recall her.

RELATED: Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton facing recall effort

Gabe has been fighting for justice for his daughter Alexis for years.

Investigators believe the 24-year-old woman from Oakley was killed by her ex-boyfriend in January 2022. Marshall Jones was killed by officers trying to arrest him.

The Gabe family believed Jones had help to dump Alexis' body and pushed for accessory charges against his mother. The Contra Costa County District Attorney ruled there was not enough evidence to charge her.

Gabe said he and other families turned out Saturday to express their frustration with Becton.

"This action not only seeks to rectify the situation, but aims to protect other families from being victimized by someone who should be safeguarding victims rather than criminals," Gabe said.

MORE: Alexis Gabe's family upset at DA's decision not to charge mother of accused killer

Legal analyst Paula Canny explains the impact of a recall.

"That's the beauty of democracy. It's the power of a recall under the California government code: dissatisfied voters have that power to gather signatures and initiate a recall," Canny said.

The Bay Area has seen it play out with former San Francisco County D.A. Chesa Boudin and then Alameda County D.A. Pamela Price.

Canny says trying to recall D.A. Becton is an interesting step.

"She sat as a judge for 22 years. She was the presiding. She is, in my opinion, a super-qualified person to be a D.A.," Canny said.

MORE: Recalled Alameda Co. DA launches podcast, speaks about topics she was restricted on

The recall campaign is being led by a group of 10 people. Critics of Becton say there's a cycle of unaddressed criminal activity, a lack of transparency and attempts to keep offenders out of jail.

D.A. Becton did not want to comment. She has seven days to respond to the "Notice of Intent to Recall."

Canny says the recall organizers have a long road ahead of them.

Once their petition is approved, they will have 160 days to collect 76,000 signatures to get the recall on the ballot.