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A San Mateo County Superior Court judge has blocked an effort by Sheriff Christina Corpus to pause her removal from office, allowing the county to proceed with her removal following a voter-approved measure allowing the Board of Supervisors to oust the sitting sheriff.
On Friday, Judge Nina Shapirshteyn ruled against Corpus’ request for a temporary restraining order that would have frozen the process for her removal, and found that halting the process was “not justified,” according to a county statement. The decision follows a recent 5-0 vote by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to remove her from office.
In March, San Mateo County voters overwhelmingly approved Measure A, a charter amendment that empowers the Board of Supervisors to remove a sitting sheriff. Ousting the sheriff requires a four-fifths majority vote by the board, and the charter amendment is only effective through December 2028.
Under the newly approved process, the Board of Supervisors is seeking to remove Corpus for cause, which can include violations of the law related to the performance of a sheriff’s duties, misappropriation of public funds, falsification of documents or obstructing an investigation.
Corpus has denied allegations of wrongdoing, and her legal representation intends to exhaust all options to appeal the board’s decision.
Elected in 2022, Corpus made history as the first woman and first Latina to serve as sheriff in San Mateo County. Two years later, a bombshell report emerged that alleged a pattern of retaliation, abuse of power, an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and conflicts of interest. Calls for her resignation continued through the passage of Measure A this year.
