Trouble could be ahead for Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith. A civil grand jury has accused her office of 7 counts of misconduct related to corruption, and on Wednesday California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that his office is launching a civil rights investigation. It’s the latest in a long backstory of officials and members of the public attempting to hold Sheriff Smith accountable for accusations like corruption, bribery, and even jail abuse.
Today, we’re sharing an episode from last summer, when local elected officials publicly called for investigations into the sheriff — and in some cases, called for her resignation.
Guests: KQED reporters Adhiti Bandlamudi and Alex Emslie
This episode originally aired on Aug. 23, 2021. It was originally produced by Christopher Beale and Alan Montecillo, and hosted by Devin Katayama.