SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, currently facing multiple corruption and misconduct charges, has announced her retirement, effective immediately, the sheriff's office said on Monday afternoon.
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Undersheriff Ken Binder will be the acting sheriff until a new sheriff is elected next week.
Smith's resignation came in the form of a one sentence letter sent to the Board of Supervisors, which read, "This letter is to notify you of my retirement effective immediately, Monday, October 31, 2022."
Smith, a six-term sheriff who's been in office since 1998 and worked in the sheriff's office since 1973, is currently in the midst of a civil corruption trial where jurors are actively deliberating on whether she abused her power. She faces six civil counts of corruption and willful misconduct in the trial which began in September.
Closing arguments were made on Friday following a month of testimony.
Accusations against Smith include bribing campaign donors with concealed carry licenses, accepting San Jose Sharks tickets and not reporting them as gifts, and mismanaging an incarcerated individual going through a mental health crisis.
Smith has steadfastly denied all the allegations, claiming they are politically motivated.
A guilty verdict on any of the charges would have resulted in her expulsion from office and a ban on running for public office. Smith previously announced that she would not run for re-election when her current term expires.
"We support Sheriff Smith retiring from the Sheriff's Office and look forward to turning the page and moving our department forward,” Ryan Elder, president of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of Santa Clara County, said in a statement. “We acknowledge her decades of service, and we certainly hope new leadership will restore some of the confidence in our department that has been tarnished throughout this sordid episode."
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who called for Smith’s resignation in August, 2021, said in a statement, "More than a year ago, I publicly called for Sheriff Laurie Smith to resign, and she has belatedly heeded that call. It remains for the County to rebuild a troubled department and to better address many long-neglected issues, particularly regarding jail oversight. The City of San José stands ready to help.”
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