San Mateo Sheriff Christina Corpus' attorneys make last-ditch attempt to halt removal hearing
Corpus is facing potential removal from her elected position after voters in March overwhelmingly approved Measure A, a charter amendment granting the supervisors temporary power to remove the sheriff on grounds of misconduct.
Measure A was the board's way of removing Corpus, who remained defiant against calls to resign after the release of a scathing, 400-page investigation by retired judge LaDoris Cordell alleging that Corpus had an inappropriate relationship with her chief of staff and fostered a culture of intimidation and retaliation in the Sheriff's Office.
As part of the removal proceedings, a Measure A hearing is set to begin Monday and last 10 days.
In addition, a separate trial is scheduled for September after the county civil grand jury accused Corpus of having a conflict of interest in the hiring of her chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, with whom she has a close relationship. The civil grand jury also alleged that Corpus retaliated against three of her staff members.
At Tuesday's board meeting, at least four of Corpus' attorneys showed up in a last-ditch attempt to halt next week's hearing. They requested that the supervisors pause the Measure A hearing and instead hold the civil grand jury trial first.
Attorney Tom Perez, who served as the former U.S. secretary of labor during former President Barack Obama's administration and as a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden, spoke for more than 10 minutes during public comment.
Perez recently joined Corpus' team of lawyers, and originally requested one hour to speak to the board at Tuesday's regular meeting, according to a letter he sent to board president David Canepa and County Attorney John Nibbelin. The board denied that request.
"I sent a letter last week, and I'm here to make a specific request," Perez said to the board at Tuesday's meeting. "The request is that the civil grand jury proceeding, which would give the community a voice in this matter, proceed first, and the reason for that is so that the community can weigh in."
Perez spent the next 10 minutes of his speech defending Corpus against accusations made in the Cordell report and trying to highlight her accomplishments and track record as sheriff.
He mentioned Corpus' response to the 2023 Half Moon Bay shootings, and the reduction in violent crimes and property crimes seen in 2024 during Corpus' tenure. He attempted to discount allegations that Corpus and Aenlle had an intimate relationship, and also discussed the challenges she faced as the first woman of color to be elected sheriff in the county.
"We are here to defend her vigorously, and we will bring the truth forward," Perez said. "We will prove the negatives."
None of the board members responded directly to Perez's request during the meeting.
A statement from county spokesperson Effie Milionis Verducci said San Mateo County fully intends to move forward with the Measure A hearing next week.
"The county remains committed to defending the integrity of the lawful Measure A process and we look forward to the hearing taking place, beginning August 18," she wrote.
It was Corpus' latest attempt to stop the removal proceedings, having filed multiple requests to halt the Measure A process through temporary restraining orders.
"The Sheriff has now asked three different judges to stop the removal process and all three have refused, allowing the process to move forward," Milionis Verducci said.
Monday's hearing will be open to the public after Corpus reversed her initial request to keep it closed.
"Let the public see the facts," Corpus said in a statement announcing her decision in late July. "Let them hear the truth. Let justice pierce the veil of corruption and bring light where darkness has reigned for far too long."
Tuesday's meeting also included an agenda item in which the board heard a presentation recommending the establishment of a full-time inspector general to oversee the Sheriff's Office with subpoena power.
Kalimah Salahuddin, the chair of the county's Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff's Office, gave the presentation explaining the benefits of having an inspector general. The ICAC is comprised of nine appointed members who offer recommendations to the board for encouraging transparency and accountability in the Sheriff's Office.
An inspector general, Salahuddin said at the meeting, would have "the ability to hold impartial investigations into allegations of misconduct, both internally and externally, to be able to review internal investigations for fairness and then support ICAC when issues are brought to our commission."
For some members of the public, the addition of a full-time inspector general to oversee the Sheriff's Office has come at an important time given the current upheaval the department is facing surrounding Corpus.
"Over the past year, we have witnessed the complete unraveling of the Sheriff's Office," said deacon Lauren Patton McCombs during public comment. She is a member of the Coalition for a Safer San Mateo County, a group of community organizations that support civilian oversight of the Sheriff's Office.
"The time to act is now. I encourage you to follow the recommendation of ICAC and hire a permanent inspector general to prevent any future problems developing within the Sheriff's Office. Don't wait until a new interim sheriff is appointed."
The board did not take a vote on whether to hire an inspector general during Tuesday's meeting.
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