BY DAVE PRICE
Daily Post Editor
It’s taking longer than expected to fire San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus.
First, it was going to take three months. Now, the estimate is four to six months. If she sues, it could take a lot longer.
County residents need a backup plan if the county supervisors are unable to fire her themselves.
• First, get the recall going. Start the signature gathering now. Don’t wait for the county supervisor’s process to hit a wall. Get this on the November 2026 ballot.
• Second, somebody should deliver a figurative kick in the butt to the civil grand jury, which has the authority to remove a sheriff from office.
Only three years ago, a civil grand jury convicted Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith for giving concealed weapons permits to campaign donors and failing to cooperate with civilian jail monitors.
The civil grand jury can’t throw a defendant in jail, but they can remove a sheriff from office.
In the case of Smith, the verdict came after she had left office. But it shows what a citizens panel can do in a situation like this.
The county needs a Plan B and a Plan C for removing Corpus because the process the supervisors have picked could be halted by a judge. Corpus could file many lawsuits hoping to find a judge who would halt to the removal process pending future court hearings. They would try to stretch out the litigation until 2028, when the supervisors’ temporary authority to remove her expires.
When the voters decided in March to give the Board of Supervisors authority to remove Corpus, proponents of that measure argued that time was of the essence. An unusual number of inmates had died in the county jails under her watch. An outside investigation found she was retaliating against employees who crossed her. And the sheriff’s office was dangerously short staffed because of an exodus of experienced officers.
This is still an urgent problem. If the supervisors can’t take care of it, then the voters or the civil grand jury need to fire her.
Editor Dave Price’s column appears on Mondays.
The Board of Supervisors are shameful, Wagstaff is a joke, the Attorney General is useless and Dave Price is 100% correct…start the recall process. Nearly 90k voters, several local governments and an outpouring of labor organizations came out in support of Measure A and here we are…no further ahead than when the Cordell report was released. Hasn’t there been enough damage done by Corpus and her minions? Endless lawsuits, dead inmates, countless HR complaints, the unlawful arrest of the DSA president and still no accountability. The entirety of the San Mateo County government and elected leadership cadre should be ashamed. Your constituents deserve AND demand better!
The Board of Supervisors are shameful, Wagstaff is a joke, the Attorney General is useless and Dave Price is 100% correct…start the recall process. Nearly 90k voters, several local governments and an outpouring of labor organizations came out in support of Measure A and here we are…no further ahead than when the Cordell report was released. Hasn’t there been enough damage done by Corpus and her minions? Endless lawsuits, dead inmates, countless HR complaints, the unlawful arrest of the DSA president and still no accountability. The entirety of the San Mateo County government and elected leadership cadre should be ashamed. Your constituents deserve AND demand better!
Where was the urgency when Sheriff Munks and Undersheriff Bolanos were caught. at a brothel where there were underaged trafficked girls? The DA’s office defended them and the Supervisors took no action. Double standard.
That happened in 2007 — 18 years ago. Give it a rest.
You’re comparing apples to oranges. The Vegas incident did not disrupt the Sheriff’s Office. It did not lead to; votes of no confidence. The resignation of the Undersheriff, a Asst. Sheriff, a Sheriff’s Captain or the attempted termination of a Asst. Sheriff. It did not lead to multiple lawsuits. It did not lead to the arrest of the DSA president on bogus charges. It did not lead to multiple city councils and local politicians demanding their resignation. It did not lead to a Measure A. It did not lead to complaints to the State Labor Board. Like I said, you’re trying to compare apples to oranges.
Government has long been known to move at glacial speed. While internally disappointed to a degree with that metaphor, I’m okay with that apparent slow speed for the reasons briefly and occasionally mentioned by members of the Board; any actions along these lines need to be accomplished properly and with due regard of the rights of all involved directly, as well as those involved indirectly.
Yet what escapes reasonable understanding in my view, is the lack of public education being provided by, or at the direction of, the Board as to the process, and progress in that process. The Board could, for example, educate the public as to the Skelly hearing process that has been mentioned in response to other Daily Post articles. The Board could educate the public as to the number of ongoing investigations, the authorities or investigating agencies, as well as just how the Grand Jury accusation process works in general terms. Alternatively, the County’s whistleblower policies and practices, county purchasing protocols, and similar areas in general could be the subject of public education presentations. Think of it as an opportunity for a Civics 101 series of public presentations, that is being missed.
Is the Board required to educate the public in such a manner? Absolutely not. Would it tip their hand? Not at all if done properly, since the Board would only be taking actions based on the past behavior of those accused. Does the Board have to do that public focused education themselves? Absolutely not; they have many presenters available to them—members of the County Executive’s Office, the County Attorney’s personnel, and County Human Resources staff. You get the idea. While it appears that public corruption has usurped the election process, ill informed and un-informed voters can make poor electoral decisions. After all, San Mateo County voters once elected a candidate who has died just prior to the election. I find the failure now of those elected San Mateo County leaders to educate the public throughout this saddening situation of apparent public corruption more than regrettable. It means they are missing the opportunity to better serve all members of the public that they serve and instead, only contribute to frustrations and a greater lack of understanding.
How many claims need to be filed before someone steps in?
50 mil?
100 mil?
500 mil?
1 BILLION
someone save us all and quick