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Ronald Galatolo, the former chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District now serving eight months in jail, is challenging his conviction on eight felony counts connected to his time leading the leading district. He filed a notice of appeal in August, court records show.
In February, a jury convicted Galatolo on four counts of falsifying tax documents and four counts of perjury for failing to properly disclose income and gifts, and for filing false financial and tax documents. Jurors deadlocked on 18 additional felony charges and acquitted him of one count of perjury. Galatolo was sentenced on July 31 and immediately taken into custody.
The case centered on Galatolo’s conduct from 2001 to 2019, when he oversaw Cañada College in Woodside, Skyline College in San Bruno and the College of San Mateo. Prosecutors alleged that Galatolo accepted and did not disclose benefits, including luxury travel, he received from district contractors, and that he failed to report income and gifts. Other allegations involved his personal tax returns, including that he improperly claimed as a personal tax deduction a charitable contribution that the college district made.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Shin-Mee Chang said prosecutors had expected Galatolo to appeal. His defense attorney, Charles Smith III, did not respond to a request for comment.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe decided not to retry Galatolo on the 18 remaining counts in March.
Before he was sentenced, Galatolo sought a new trial on two counts and asked the court to reduce four felony convictions to misdemeanors. Superior Court Judge Leland Davis III denied those requests.
Davis sentenced Galatolo to eight months in county jail, two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. The San Mateo County Probation Department had recommended a prison sentence, while Galatolo’s attorney, Charles Smith III, argued for probation. Galatolo faced a maximum possible sentence of seven years and four months in prison.
At the sentencing hearing, Davis said he had “extreme difficulties” believing that Galatolo was remorseful and faulted the former chancellor for not fully accepting responsibility.
Deputies took Galatolo into custody immediately after the sentencing hearing. According to the San Mateo County inmate locator, he remains housed at the Maple Street Correctional Center and is scheduled to be released Nov. 27. Inmates in California often only serve half of their sentence with credit for good behavior.
The appeal notice filed with the court on Aug. 20 does not identify the arguments Galatolo plans to raise. Filing the notice preserves Galatolo’s right to seek review of the conviction and sentence by a higher court; it does not overturn the verdict or automatically delay his incarceration.
As of Sept. 1, this news organization could not find records for the appeal with the California 1st District Court of Appeal, which covers San Mateo County.
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