San Mateo County independent hearing officer finds cause to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus

By Carlos E. Castañeda

An independent retired judge has found multiple causes to remove San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus from her post following a two-week hearing to decide her fate.

Retired Superior Court Judge James Emerson, the independent hearing officer during the August proceedings, released his advisory opinion to the county on Monday, concluding that Corpus violated laws related to her official duties by engaging in conflicts of interest and acts of retaliation.

In particular, Emerson found that Corpus allegedly used her position to benefit her former chief-of-staff Victor Aenlle, with whom she has a close personal relationship outside the boundaries of a professional working relationship, despite both of their denials, the opinion said. The opinion stated that Corpus “elevated her own interest in the close personal relationship she held with Mr. Aenlle above her obligation to appoint, recruit, select, and/or retain based upon merit.”

Emerson also concluded that Corpus directed the arrest of the deputy sheriffs’ union president, Carlos Tapia, without probable cause and retaliated against a captain who refused to take part in a personnel action that he believed violated state law.

“Based upon the evidence and argument presented, it is the undersigned Hearing Officer’s opinion that the County had cause, under Section 412.5 (of the County Charter), to remove appellant Sheriff Corpus,” Emerson wrote in his opinion. 

Corpus has denied all the allegations against her. Her attorneys told the San Francisco Chronicle that Emerson found only three out of 18 allegations against Corpus to be true, alleging that the judge applied “extremely low standards” to reach that conclusion.

The judge’s report now goes to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, who will call a meeting and hold a final vote on whether to remove Corpus from her position.

The county has not responded to a request for comment.