A civil grand jury has filed an official declaration against Santa Clara County sheriff Laurie Smith, accusing the sheriff of willful and corrupt misconduct.
In Superior Court Tuesday, the jury accused Smith of seven corruption related acts, from trading favors for concealed gun permits to mismanaging the Santa Clara County jail. However, Smith has repeatedly denied the charges, blaming the issues on staffing.
"Let me tell you something that has bothered me for a while. I said it many, many times publicly, we are severely understaffed and that's not only a danger to our staff, but a danger to those that we're caring for," she said.
The sheriff has been called to resign by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, who are also calling for an independent investigation of the jail operations.
"Sad is the only thing you can call this," County Supervisor Joe Simitian said. "There's no doubt that accusations like these undermine the trust of the public and, not just law enforcement, but elected officials and the democratic process generally. God knows we can’t afford to have a further loss of trust."
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo previously called for Smith to resign in August, but the sheriff declared she had no intention of doing so, calling the mayor a "mouth piece."
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