San Mateo Co. Board of Supervisors approve next steps in process to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus
Report found Christina Corpus had an inappropriate relationship with an employee, created culture of intimidation and retaliation
SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved the next steps in the process to remove embattled Sheriff Christina Corpus.
Corpus watched from the back of the Board of Supervisors Chambers Tuesday, while the board considered approving the procedures to remove her.
"Today is really establishing the guidelines, the framework for policies and protocols," said David Canepa, President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
All of this comes after an independent report found the sheriff had an inappropriate relationship with an employee and created a culture of intimidation and retaliation within her department. Allegations the sheriff says are not true.
Her attorney spoke outside the Board of Supervisors chambers.
"To this day, they still will not release to us the Cordell report. We've had to sue to get the report. Who paid for the report? Who asked for the report? Why did they ask for the report? They won't give us an unredacted version of the report," said Thomas Mazzucco, Attorney for Christina Corpus
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Voters approved Measure A in March to give the board authority to remove Corpus.
On Tuesday, the board approved the procedures to start the process for that removal. First, Corpus will be served with a notice of intent.
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After that, there would be a pre-removal process, giving Corpus a chance to be heard.
"What was previously proposed was to have a representative from the county executive's office, as you can imagine, sort of over overseeing this," Canepa said. "So what I've asked for is that we have someone outside of the county's County Executive's Office."
On Tuesday, the Board decided that would be the county's Chief Probation Officer.
"This is the first step (of) many steps," Canepa said.
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Corpus herself did not speak about the issue Tuesday, but her attorney said she's facing an unfair battle.
"When you've got board members openly to the press and in that room saying the sheriff should be removed. Can you imagine if you were a criminal defendant, you came out of a holding cell and the judge said, 'You're a miserable human being, you're a liar and you should be gone. What day would you like me set your trial?' That's what's happening here, and we're not gonna let that happen," Mazzucco said.
Now with the changes to the removal procedures approved, the board has to come to a four- fifths vote to issue the notice of intent to remove Corpus.
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After that, then hearings could happen.
All of it a part of a process the supervisors say could take several months.
