By Olivia Hebert
SFGate, San Francisco
SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. — The San Mateo County of Board Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to remove embattled Sheriff Christina Corpus from office for cause, citing county charter violations. Corpus can appeal the decision in the following days.
The 5-0 vote marks the first time the board has used its authority under Measure A, a 2025 charter amendment approved by 84% of voters in a special election in response to alleged misconduct by Corpus. The measure allows the board to remove an elected sheriff for cause with a supermajority vote through Dec. 31, 2028.
“This is a very regrettable chapter in the history of San Mateo County, and the taxpayers are paying a very heavy price,” said board President David Canepa during the meeting on Tuesday.
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Corpus, elected in 2022, is the first woman and first Latina to serve as sheriff of San Mateo County .
The removal process began earlier this year after the county received anonymous complaints alleging misconduct within the sheriff’s office. In response, the board initiated a third-party investigation resulting in 524 pages of evidence and 42 witness interviews by November 2024.
The procedural notice to remove Corpus found three specific grounds for removal under the county charter: violation of the law related to the performance of sheriff’s duties, flagrant and repeated neglect of those duties, and obstruction of an investigation into the sheriff’s conduct. The closed-session deliberation followed a recommendation from Chief Probation Officer John Keene , who concluded that the sheriff’s conduct “violated the for-cause provisions in the county charter.”
Corpus and her legal team were given the opportunity to respond to the allegations during a pre-removal conference held at their offices. Keene, in his written recommendation, stated that even after considering the sheriff’s presentation, he concluded her conduct met the threshold for removal.
Neither the full contents of the notice nor Keene’s formal recommendation have been made public, following objections from Corpus. The sheriff has denied the allegations and has filed a lawsuit against the county, calling the process politically motivated and a violation of her due process rights.
In a statement issued after the passage of Measure A earlier this year, Corpus addressed the voter-approved amendment that gave the board authority to remove a sheriff for cause, saying she remained proud of her service and had no intention of stepping down.
“As far as for me — I will not resign,” Corpus told the press, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal .
“My legal team and I look forward to this opportunity, and are confident that I will be vindicated through a legitimate process,” she added.
She said at the time of Measure A’s passage that she is “now entitled to a public evidentiary hearing before a neutral and unbiased body,” adding that she is only now able to “appropriately challenge and prove the allegations against me and my administration.”
If Corpus appeals, a hearing officer will be chosen from a list of three approved candidates. Corpus has five days to appeal, and the officer then has 60 days to complete the hearing. Afterward, the officer has 45 days to give the board a recommendation, and the board has 30 days to make a final decision.
Vice President Noelia Corzo , supervisor of District 2 , emphasized the importance of transparency in the proceedings.
“I personally look forward to the day that the public has access to any and all information related to this removal process,” Corzo said. "... This board doesn’t just talk about transparency — we ensure our actions truly uplift transparency.”
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