The second and final week of the hearing regarding the removal of Sheriff Christina Corpus has kicked off, so the clock is ticking for witnesses to be called and testimonies to count, and the judge is trying to keep things efficient.
The removal hearing underway is a part of approved proceedings by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors following voter approval of Measure A in March — which is a uniquely created process established in response to unrest over Corpus’ tenure.
Attorneys representing the county have called 22 witnesses to the stand so far, and said they will call two more on Tuesday. Corpus’ team has yet to call their first witness, but has had an opportunity to cross examine.
Each party is allotted 35 hours, or approximately five days each, to present their cases. Cross examination counts toward that time, which hearing officer retired Judge James Emerson particularly noted to Corpus’ counsel.
Corpus’ attorneys have spent significant time during their cross examinations of witnesses, that often included repetitive lines of questioning that Emerson found ad nauseam and hypotheticals that often yielded objections by the county’s legal team.
“Tomorrow and Wednesday and Thursday you’re going to need this time that you’re burning through today,” Emerson said to Corpus’ attorney Christopher Ulrich.
On Monday, six witnesses took the stand, including Lt. Dan Reynolds, who was finishing his testimony from Aug. 22, and Carlos Tapia, the president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association and early-on whistleblower against Corpus’ administration.
Although Tapia’s timecards and overtime requests were discussed at length last week, the matter was almost moot on Monday — Emerson alluded to an “in limine” ruling that agreed to exclude certain evidence or arguments from being debated or presented during a hearing.
Tapia testified to loving his job as a deputy and union leader.
During cross examination, Ulrich pursued a line of questioning that looked to establish that the DSA was an emboldened agency that wanted more pay, and acted out against Corpus when they didn’t get it.
A particular line of questioning by Ulrich, which he defended was to establish that the DSA blames Corpus for double overtime ending, made Emerson raise a concern.
Emerson said he wasn’t understanding the connection between Ulrich’s questions and how he hopes to defend the sheriff.
“I’m doing something wrong if you don’t understand the connection,” Ulrich said to Emerson.
Ulrcih moved on to further questioning that Emerson described as “really obscure.”
“What I want you to understand is that you aren’t getting to any points that make me think, ‘wow, you really proved a point,’” Emerson said to Ulrich. “I’m just getting garble.”
At the beginning of court on Monday, Emerson stated that at the request of the county’s counsel, court would start at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 30 minutes earlier than usual. This decision was ultimately scrapped by the end of the day, but Emerson still advised attorneys to plan appropriately and take advantage of the time they have.
DA’s Office perspective
Although Tapia’s timecards and overtime requests were discussed at a minimum, Chief Deputy Attorney Shin-Mee Chang took the stand and spoke to the warrantless arrest of Tapia Nov. 12, 2024.
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Chang first learned that Tapia was under investigation for alleged time card fraud the morning of his arrest, when former Acting Assistant Sheriff Matthew Fox told her the Sheriff’s Office would be pursuing a probable cause arrest.
Chang urged Fox to not proceed with the arrest, she testified, because Tapia posed no flight risk, nor was the allegation a crime of violence, so there was no public safety risk.
Chang added that because a complete investigation into the allegation couldn’t be completed within 48 hours — the maximum amount of time a person can be in custody before a final charge must be made by the District Attorney’s Office — Tapia would ultimately be released, anyway.
During cross examination, Corpus’ attorneys worked to establish that “the vast majority” of arrests may be made without an investigation being completed by the District Attorney’s Office, and that the office may not prosecute a case “even if you think the person did do it.”
The District Attorney’s Office investigated the allegations into Tapia following his arrest, and ultimately deemed the arrest wrongful and unnecessary Dec. 15, 2024. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said then that his office found no evidence warranting the arrest.
Corpus’ attorney asked Chang if she believed it is more important that 10 guilty people go free rather than one innocent person be charged.
The philosophical question was objected to by the county’s counsel immediately.
Coastal chief
Capt. Rebecca Albin, the former captain of the Half Moon Bay Police Department, also took the stand Monday, and spoke to her fond experience developing a close relationship with the coastside community.
Her memories are muddled by an unfortunate departure, though, she testified. Albin made the decision to leave her role in the Sheriff’s Office to pursue another job opportunity that cut her commute by more than half, she said. Albin told Corpus about this May 6, 2024 — a whole month before she submitted her formal two-weeks notice.
Albin announced she was leaving her position to the Half Moon Bay community on a Nextdoor post on June 18, 2024. Shortly after the post was made, Albin received a call from former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung who said the post made Corpus upset and was preemptive.
Albin was then locked out of her work email, her access card was revoked and she was instructed not to come back to any county building, she testified.
“It made no sense to me that this was a surprise,” Albin said, in regards to the post.
Corpus testified Aug. 19, that the post was upsetting because Corpus did not have time to share the news of Albin’s departure with city officials of Half Moon Bay. Albin’s testimony contradicted this — Albin said before she made the Nextdoor post, she received a phone call from Half Moon Bay City Manager Matthew Chidester during which he indicated to Albin that he agreed on her replacement.
One June 20, 2024, Albin testified to being chaperoned during her last day as captain in the Half Moon Bay substation. Sergeants were told that Albin was not allowed on premises and that she was to be watched, she said.
“It impacts me now,” Albin said. “It’s been over a year and I have to keep reliving this. It was horrible. I had an unblemished career.”
Court will reconvene at 9 a.m. Tuesday Aug. 26, and Corpus’ attorneys will likely call their first witness to stand.
(1) comment
What seems to be missing is the reason for Corpus' rightful investigation into the time card issue. That may be the tip of the iceberg regarding the uncontrolled overtime procedures. Why are the taxpayers funding the time that the deputy spent on union activities? Shouldn't the union pay for that? I recall that Corpus had brought up the abuse of timecards and questionable payments n the County jail for over time. Was that perhaps one of the reason this whole debacle was initiated because she was upsetting the apple cart? Corpus may have been unpredictable but from all of the testimony it appears that she may have been thwarted by the union in trying to clean things up. Strange that the Grand Jury did not explore the root of the turmoil. Her defense team should bring this to the surface.
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