San Mateo County Sheriff Corpus takes stand in her removal hearing

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus testified Monday in the first day of her 10-day removal hearing.

Sheriff's removal hearing begins

Corpus requested the hearing after the Board of Supervisors voted to remove her from office due to allegations of retaliation and a conflict of interest in hiring her close friend Victor Aenlle as her chief of staff.

"Finally, today, the Sheriff will get to tell the community about what happened," Tom Perez, an attorney with Corpus's defense team, said.

Day one of the hearing began with the county's attorneys calling for testimony from Corpus's former associates, who described being excited by her winning office, but later becoming concerned about her actions.

Undersheriff's concerns

Corpus's former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung testified that he had supported Corpus's mission to reform the sheriff's office and that she was a "good boss."

He said he warned Corpus, however, about taking action that might seem retaliatory against a sheriff's office captain in Half Moon Bay who posted on social media that she was leaving the sheriff's office for another job, without informing the sheriff or Hsiung first.

Hsiung said he also had concerns about Corpus hiring Victor Aenlle as her Chief of Staff with authority over sworn officers, given that Hsiung said Aenlle lacked qualifications. Hsiung said he later resigned, citing "different leadership styles."

Romantic relationship 

The second witness, Jeffrey Kearnan, who was on Corpus's transition team, testified Corpus lied to him about taking a trip to Hawaii with Victor Aenlle. 

Kearnan testified he told Corpus that he would leave if she hired Aenlle. Corpus had approached Kearnan, who was retired and lived in Texas at the time, about becoming her interim undersheriff.

"If he stays, I go. If I stay, he goes," Kearnan said, recounting his conversation with Corpus.

Kearnan said it became clear Corpus was standing with Aenlle, so Kearnan testified that he made a statement to the county manager's office before he left.

"I told them that she was in a romantic relationship with Victor and there was a conflict of interest and I didn't want to be part of that," Kearnan testified.

Aenlle's role

The third witness called by the county was Heather Enders, San Mateo County Human Resources manager.

Enders testified that Corpus had asked her to help find an "extra help" role for Aenlle that was high-paying.

Enders also testified that Aenlle had made requests to her and other staff members about disciplinary measures that put her in an awkward position.

Enders became emotional when asked about why she was no longer working in the same job, saying the workplace had become stressful.

Corpus testifies

Sheriff Corpus was the fourth and final witness on Monday. She denied taking a trip to Hawaii with Aenlle, saying he was a close friend who was helping her on the plane with her special needs son. She said a sheriff's office staff member had been on the same flight and saw them on the plane.

"I was not together with Mr. Aenlle in Hawaii. I was on an airplane at SFO with him…That is the truth. He was on the airplane to help me with my son," Corpus testified.

"I have a child with autism. He is a big boy…weighs about 275. He knows Victor, he trusts Victor. I asked if he would help me," Corpus said, getting emotional as she spoke about her son.

Looking at the evidence

"The factual evidence that will be presented by both sides to put a definitive picture of what has been happening here and help us all move forward, Effie Milionis Verducci, a San Mateo County spokesperson said.

The hearing is expected to last ten days, with the County and Corpus's attorneys each getting five days to call witnesses.

The judge will listen to arguments and send a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

"They will receive a written advisory opinion from Judge Emerson at the conclusion. Judge Emerson will have about 45 days to prepare it and present it and then the Board will have about 30 days to schedule a hearing or hear it at one of the regular hearings in a public forum," Milionis Verducci said.

The backstory:

The hearing was spurred by Corpus' move to appeal the Board of Supervisors' unanimous decision to oust her in June, an authority the Board was granted with voter approval of a charter amendment in March's special election for Measure A.

Measure A was the Board's way of removing Corpus, who remained defiant against calls to resign after the release of a scathing, 400-page investigation by retired judge LaDoris Cordell alleging that Corpus had an inappropriate relationship with her chief of staff and fostered a culture of intimidation and retaliation in the Sheriff's Office.

Nearly one year after the release of Cordell's report, retired Judge James Emerson, who served 20 years in the Santa Clara County Superior Courts, will send his opinion to the Board of Supervisors. 

Emerson was chosen to preside over the hearing as an independent officer. Corpus and the county mutually agreed to select Emerson considering his experience and neutrality as a retired judge from outside the county.

The full evidentiary hearing will operate based on rules prescribed by Emerson and the same procedures governing other proceedings in the San Mateo County Superior Court, according to a county spokesperson.

Members of the public will be able to attend the hearing on a first-come, first-served basis. It will not be live-streamed and cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom. 

"Cause" includes violating any law related to the performance of the sheriff's duties, flagrant or repeated neglect of duty, misappropriation of public funds or property, willful falsification of official statements or documents, or obstruction of a lawful investigation into the sheriff or the Sheriff's Office, according to Section 412.5 of the county charter. 

The Board then has 30 days to make a final decision based on Emerson's recommendation.

Attempts to stop hearing

Corpus has attempted multiple times to put a stop to the hearing by filing requests for temporary restraining orders. 

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria denied her motion to block or postpone the hearing, saying that he was "skeptical" that the Measure A process would violate her constitutional rights, according to the written order. 

The county said that Chhabria's ruling demonstrates the legality of the hearing, even though the Measure A process has never been done before in state history. 

"The County of San Mateo reaffirms its full commitment to upholding the integrity of this process, which was established to promote transparency, accountability, and responsiveness in local governance," Milionis Verducci said. "We are confident in the fairness and structure of the Measure A framework; it reflects the will of the voters and ensures that all proceedings are conducted with the utmost integrity." 

What's next:

Sheriff Corpus is expected to take the stand again Tuesday morning.

The hearing will continue at 9 a.m. in Courtroom 2M at the San Mateo County Hall of Justice in Redwood City.

KTVU's Jana Katsuyama contributed to this report. 
   

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