LOS ANGELES (KNX) — The Court of Appeal of the State of California on Thursday ruled that Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva's reinstatement of a deputy fired by the previous sheriff was unlawful after years of legal process.
When Villanueva took charge in 2018, he reinstated Caren Mandoyan, an ex-deputy fired by his predecessor, former Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Mandoyan's termination stemmed from accusations of stalking and abusing his then-girlfriend, who was also a deputy. Video showed Mandoyan attempting to force entry into her home.
Villanueva offered Mandoyan $200,000 in back pay in exchange for dropping a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, which was not approved by the county, prompting supervisors to take Villanueva to court.
After a years-long court battle, an appeals judge agreed with the Board of Supervisors: Villanueva did not have the authority to reinstate Mandoyan without the council's support.
"Defendants contend ... Mandoyan was eligible for rehire as a deputy sheriff," court documents read. "We disagree with those contentions and affirm the judgment of the trial court."
The reinstatement sparked tensions between Villanueva and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, most recently highlighted by the warrants the department obtained to search Supervisor Sheila Kuehl's home and the offices of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The California Attorney General's office took over that investigation, though a judge acknowledged Thursday the sheriff obtained the warrants properly.
"When people first started reading about the sheriff and his scandals, it was because he wanted to hire somebody back [who] was fired for cause," said Loyola University law professor Jessica Levinson.
"What the appellate court did today completely shut down Sheriff Villanueva and his legal theories. They said he could not enter into this amended settlement agreement without a blessing from County Counsel. They also said he was without authority to try and rehire this deputy," Levinson elaborated.
"The appellate court ... [made] it abundantly clear that the Sheriff — like all county officials — must act in conformity with the law," the Los Angeles County Counsel said.
During a Wednesday night debate between candidates for sheriff, Villanueva accused the board of recruiting candidates to run against him, describing competitor Robert Luna as "a puppet."
While Sheriff Villanueva did not respond to requests for comment Thursday, Robert Luna, however, did release a statement.
"The ruling is further proof that county has a rogue sheriff," Luna wrote.
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