San Mateo Sheriff Corpus to Appear in Court After Misconduct Accusations

San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus is set to make her first court appearance on Tuesday after a civil grand jury formally accused her of engaging in unlawful and inappropriate conduct.

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted last month to remove Corpus from her position after two independent investigations found she broke the law and abused her powers while on duty. Corpus and her attorneys previously said they plan to appeal the decision, accusing board members of bias and calling the investigations into her conduct “flawed.”

The push to remove Corpus began last year after several complaints were filed against her former executive director of administration, Victor Aenlle. An investigation conducted by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell, commissioned by the county, found Corpus and Aenlle were in a romantic relationship and that her decision to hire him was a conflict of interest.

Corpus’ attorneys did not respond to a request for comment. She has previously denied the allegations.

“Lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority are the hallmarks of the Corpus administration,” Cordell wrote in the conclusion of her report. “Nothing short of new leadership can save this organization.”

Cordell’s investigation into Corpus also sustained accusations that she used derogatory language in the workplace and retaliated against law enforcement officials who were critical of her and her executive team. Sheriff’s deputies, for example, were allegedly ordered by Corpus to arrest Deputy Carlos Tapia, head of the deputies’ union and one of her vocal critics, following the release of Cordell’s findings.

Tapia was arrested for time card fraud, an accusation that District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe previously said was unsubstantiated and potentially politically motivated.

Wagstaffe and his office will appear in court opposite Corpus on Tuesday. He noted that Corpus’ attorneys had filed a motion to have the district attorney’s office removed as prosecutors in the case, citing conflict between the two parties. The hearing for the removal of Wagstaffe’s office is scheduled for Aug. 13.

“For the good of our county, the good of the people in our community, we need to get this behind us,” Wagstaffe said. “I have worked with Sheriff Corpus myself for two years … I’m saddened it’s come to this. I am more saddened by the fact of what it’s doing to our county with all the attention and resources.”

In a separate investigation into Corpus, the law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters reported Corpus repeatedly violated the law by obstructing investigations and neglecting her sheriff’s duties.

Following the release of the so-called “Keker report,” San Mateo County Sgt. Joe Fava was placed on administrative leave by Corpus last week. He was one of several key witnesses named in the report, according to other news outlets.

While the temporary removal of Fava occurred after the civil grand jury issued its formal accusations, it could be brought up in trial if the presiding judge finds it relevant, Wagstaffe said.

KQED’s Sara Hossaini contributed to this report.