New San Mateo County sheriff sworn in

The vote followed an extremely expedited process to fill the vacancy within a month following the removal of Corpus Oct. 14, who was ousted for conflict of interest, retaliation against employees and ordering the wrongful arrest of a union leader. 

Supervisors Noelia Corzo and Ray Mueller acted as spokespersons for the county’s governing body through the tumultuous Corpus era, and although they’ve borne the burden of slander and allegations of bias since then, they said their work felt vindicated Wednesday afternoon. 

Wednesday evening in a full board chambers with elected officials throughout San Mateo County and friends from Binder’s former home Santa Clara County, Mueller was the one to swear Binder into office. 

“Although it was a brief process, this has been 27 years in the making for me.” Binder said after swearing in. “I am honored to serve you. I will be a sheriff of service. I will lead with a servant’s heart.”

Mueller thanked Binder for answering a call when the county needed him the most, and the staff of the Sheriff’s Office for remaining committed to public service. 

“I am committed to serving the residents of San Mateo County and the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office with the highest level of virtue and honesty,” Binder said. “It is going to be my pleasure to come into work each day.”

In a press conference after the board’s vote, Mueller said he believes Binder will do well as the county’s sheriff. 

“I don’t think you’re going to see Mr. Binder in the press that often,” Mueller said. “I think San Mateo County residents are frankly tired of seeing the Sheriff’s Office in the press. I think they just want their services delivered, their families taken care of.”

The last year

Corpus’ tenure in the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office was historic — she was both the first woman and Latina to hold the office in San Mateo County as well as the first elected sheriff in California to be removed from office without a recall effort or civil grand jury procedure. 

“We have been through ... holy hell as a county, and there is great interest in moving forward with clear-eyed intention,” Supervisor Jackie Speier said. 

Although Corpus was removed from office by a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 14, the corruption at her hands was unveiled long ago. 

Exactly a year before Binder was sworn in, members of the media and the public flocked to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors chambers for a far more somber occasion. 

On Nov. 12, 2024, a 400-page investigative report conducted by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell that detailed the mishandlings of the Sheriff’s Office by Corpus and her right hand man Victor Aenlle was released to the public. 

That same morning, Corpus ordered the arrest of Deputy Carlos Tapia, who is president of the deputies union and key whistleblower against Corpus and her administration. Tapia was a damning witness in the Cordell report.

The arrest was ultimately deemed inappropriate and unnecessary by the District Attorney’s Office, quickly affirming concern over retaliation. Another independent retired judge found the arrest to be one of the reasons Corpus should be removed from her position. 

Since his unlawful arrest last year, Tapia has remained on administrative leave. Binder said he would quickly bring Tapia back. 

Reflecting on the past year, Supervisor Corzo said the county would not have been able to get to where it is today without Tapia’s work and bravery as both a whistleblower and deputy. 

Appointing Corpus’ successor and moving the Sheriff’s Office forward exactly a year after Tapia’s wrongful arrest felt like “the ultimate example of his exoneration,” Corzo said. 

“He stood up not just for his union, but for the residents. He had to accept the consequences of that, I know he has gone through so much because of that,” Corzo said. “He deserves today.” 

Union support

The Deputy Sheriff’s Association opted to not endorse a candidate to replace Corpus, but released a statement after Binder was selected stating the union looks forward to working with the new sheriff.

During public comment at Wednesday’s meeting, Lt. John Sebring, accompanied by professional staff and sworn personnel, spoke on behalf of the Organization of Sheriff’s Sergeants endorsing Binder. 

Julie Lind, executive of the San Mateo Labor Council, added to Sebring’s remarks, reflecting on Binder’s experience in Santa Clara County. Lind has stood alongside union leaders as they’ve worked to remove Corpus and move the Sheriff’s Office through this tumultuous time. 

“He knows what it takes to rebuild an organization while also supporting those who keep it running,” Lind said. “He’ll lead with respect, with quiet strength and a measured approach. Listening, learning, uniting, he’ll be a sheriff we can trust. Won’t that be a nice change.” 

Dissenting vote

David Canepa, president of the Board of Supervisors, voted against appointing Binder to be sheriff, and voiced his preference for candidate David Lazar, the former assistant chief of San Francisco Police Department. 

Canepa’s favor for Lazar was apparent both in his line of questioning of the former assistant chief, as well as his targeted line of questioning in Binder. 

Binder was the former undersheriff of Santa Clara County under former Sheriff Laurie Smith, who retired just before she was convicted of grand jury corruption charges. When Smith retired early, Binder was acting sheriff for two months before current Santa Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen took office. 

“When Smith was facing several scandals including in custody deaths, use of force, using tear gas and for granting concealed carry permits to her friends, did you blow the whistle or keep this within the chain of command?” Canepa asked Binder.

Canepa also asked Binder about the murder of inmate Michael Tyree by three Santa Clara County deputies in 2015. 

Binder was the assistant sheriff at the time, and he was not overseeing the corrections division. In the middle of Binder’s response regarding the murder, Canepa interrupted the candidate to state “you mean they stomped him to death.” 

Canepa continued to ask a series of questions regarding Binder’s tenure working under Smith that bordered on prosecutorial, to which Binder responded calmly. 

“I would never follow an unlawful or immoral order,” Binder said. 

Canepa asked Binder why he didn’t just resign under Smith. 

“I felt like I was the person in the Sheriff’s Office that needed to be there — I was called to be there — to provide stability, honesty and integrity in the office,” Binder said. “If I wasn’t going to be there to provide that, who was going to do that?” 

When asked why Canepa did not vote in favor of Binder, and present a unanimous front to move the county forward, he said he didn’t think it was necessary. 

“I think some subscribe to the fact that you should have a 5-0 vote, that there should be consensus, and I think an alternative viewpoint,” Canepa said. “I think you should make the vote that you feel is best, and in this case I did.” 

Still, Canepa welcomed Binder warmly at the swearing-in ceremony. 

Looking ahead 

Next year, the county is slated to review its charter and update its provisions to align with modern best practices. 

As the incoming board president who will lead the governing body during this process, Corzo said she will work on establishing “long-term permanent changes” that will help the county avoid arduous scandals such as those under previous sheriffs. 

While Corzo referenced the county charter amendment approved through Measure A that allowed the Board of Supervisors to remove an elected sheriff for cause, it was not specified that this would be an authority she would seek to make permanent. 

After going through what Speier described as a “holy hell” under Corpus’ reign, the county looks forward to moving forward. 

“I am convinced he will rise to the challenge and we can finally turn the page and look on the sheriff’s department as a place where there is integrity, justice and fiscal competency,” Speier said.

As someone who once campaigned alongside Corpus in 2022 before her spiraling descent, Corzo said her selection of Binder as the next sheriff was not taken lightly. 

“I believe you will be a sheriff that San Mateo County can trust,” Corzo said to Binder. “Please do everything in your power to prove our community right.”