Judge Finds Cause To Remove Bay Area Sheriff

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — The board of supervisors received a written opinion Monday from the judge who oversaw the hearing to determine whether the San Mateo County sheriff could keep her job, and the judge said there are multiple grounds to justify her removal.

Retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge James Emerson delivered his 42-page advisory opinion to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

The judge concluded that Sheriff Christina Corpus exploited her position to favor Victor Aenlle, with whom she had a close personal relationship. She also orchestrated the arrest of the deputy sheriffs' union president without probable cause and retaliated against a captain for refusing an unlawful personnel action, Emerson stated.

The administrative hearing, a key step in the San Mateo County Board's effort to remove Corpus, concluded 38 days ago — despite Corpus's attempt to halt the proceedings. The two-week hearing allowed Corpus to present her defense, including witness testimonies.

"I stand by my actions, and the difficult decisions I make as the elected sheriff. I should have been cleared of all the allegations," Corpus said in a statement on Monday.

Corpus said in a statement following the release of the letter that the removal process is "unconstitutional, corrupt and fundamentally unfair."

Emerson wrote there was a conflict of interest.

“Although vehemently denied by appellant and Victor Aenlle, the evidentiary record is highly suggestive that appellant Sheriff Corpus and Mr. Aenlle were in a romantic extra-marital relationship preceding appellant Sheriff Corpus’s election to office and continuing thereafter," Emerson wrote.

Emerson said there was also cause for removal based on Corpus' order to arrest Deputy Carlos Tapia, president of the Deputy Sheriffs Association.

"Sheriff Corpus ordered the investigation and ultimate arrest of Deputy Tapia because of Deputy Tapia’s position as DSA President and/or because of Deputy Tapia’s participation in activities as DSA President,” Emerson wrote. "The evidence identified above go beyond neglect which is why the undersigned Hearing Officer has sustained County’s charge that appellant Sheriff Corpus retaliated against Deputy Tapia.”

The judge also ruled that Corpus retaliated against Captain Brian Philip for refusing to deliver an Internal Affairs notice he deemed improper and potentially illegal. Emerson stated Philip's refusal was protected by state law, making Corpus' transfer of Philip retaliatory.

Corpus has vehemently denied all allegations, claiming she was being attacked by those loyal to the previous sheriff and that she was the victim of a "good ol' boys club" resistant to her progressive changes to the sheriff's office.

After her election in 2022, Corpus assumed office in January 2023. Her initial year was marked by inquiries into her conduct and the management of the Sheriff's Office, which led the Board of Supervisors to approve an independent investigation.

The Board voted 5-0 on June 24, 2025, to proceed with removal under Measure A, triggering the formal hearing overseen by Emerson.

A county-commissioned investigation, led by retired judge LaDoris Cordell, released a 400-page report in November 2024. This report accused Sheriff Corpus of a romantic relationship with her chief of staff and alleged that they created an environment of intimidation and retaliation within the Sheriff's Office. Following these findings, the Board initiated efforts to remove Corpus from her position.

Corpus has denounced the efforts to remove her as “disgusting.” In January, she filed a $10 million lawsuit against the county, alleging discrimination based on her identity as a Latinx woman.

The Board of Supervisors must hold a public meeting within 30 days to decide whether to give final approval for Corpus's removal.