Candidate For Santa Clara County Sheriff Charged With Perjury

CUPERTINO, CA — Anh Colton, who ran unsuccessfully for Santa Clara County Sheriff in last week’s primary election, was charged with perjury on Thursday.

Colton was suspected of falsely claiming that she had the requisite experience to run for sheriff, according to Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen. Candidates running for sheriff must have at least one year of law enforcement experience within the last five years.

Colton, a 48-year-old Cupertino resident, had no such experience, according to Rosen.

“The qualifications for sheriff are not for show,” Rosen said. “The sheriff oversees the safety of thousands of people, hundreds of deputies, and our jail. It is not a job for the inexperienced or incompetent.”

Colton did not factor into the race for the two spots in the November general election, as she received around 4 percent of the vote as of Thursday. The top two vote-getters, Robert Jonsen and Kevin Jensen, have over 30 percent each and are likely headed to the general election.

If convicted, Colton could face up to four years in jail. She is expected to be arraigned later this summer.

In her declaration to run for office, Colton claimed she had experience as a peace officer. The district attorney’s office began checking Colton’s qualifications earlier this year.

Colton referred an investigator to her campaign advisor when approached at her home in April, and Colton’s campaign advisor later told the investigator in an email that he should “stay away from Colton and she did not have to and would not answer his questions,” according to the district attorney’s office.

State law did not allow for Colton’s name to be removed from the ballot.