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San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Nicole Healy ruled that the March 4 special election on Measure A — a ballot measure that would allow county supervisors to oust Sheriff Christina Corpus — is legal and can move forward despite Corpus’ protests.
Corpus, who has been accused by the Board of Supervisors of abuse of power, retaliation against employees and corruption, filed a complaint on Jan. 10 seeking to halt the election. Corpus and her attorneys argued that the election should not have been scheduled for March 4 because the ballot measure would represent a “substantial change” to the county charter. They argue that can only take place at a general election — the next one being in November 2026.
Healy found that the sections of elections code that Corpus’ lawyers cited to argue their case do not apply to changing county charters. “By their express terms, … those statutes apply only to elections conducted by cities and a city and county (i.e., San Francisco), not to county elections,” she wrote in her ruling.
Healy issued the tentative ruling on Feb. 25. Corpus and her lawyers did not challenge the ruling, so it became a final order on Feb. 26. Unless Corpus and her legal team file an appeal, the order will stand. Neither Corpus nor her lawyers, Thomas Mazzucco and Christopher Ulrich, have responded to this news organization’s inquiry on whether they plan to appeal the ruling.
The court’s ruling came as the election was already underway. As of Feb. 26, the county had sent ballots to approximately 444,500 registered voters, and approximately 72,500 voters have already returned their ballots.
“From the beginning, we expected the court to agree that the county properly placed Measure A on the ballot for the March 4, 2025, special election,” said County Attorney John Nibbelin in a press release. “We are pleased at this outcome. We believe that the sheriff’s decision not to challenge the tentative ruling reflects the strength of the County’s legal position, as well as of the care with which Judge Healy prepared her decision.”
The measure on next week’s ballot, if approved, would give the Board of Supervisors the authority to remove Corpus from her office “for cause,” until Dec. 31, 2028 with a four-fifths vote of the board. Supervisors voted to place the measure on the ballot and schedule the special election in December, following the release of a county-commissioned independent investigation that revealed abuses of power within the Sheriff’s office.
Healy wrote that the ruling does not address the independent investigation that was submitted by Cordell or any of its findings and allegations.
Corpus has stated repeatedly that she will not step down from her position despite calls for her resignation from local, state and federal officials, as well as votes of no confidence taken by the Sheriff’s Office unions, the sheriff’s captains and six San Mateo County cities.
To learn more about the text of the measure and the arguments from supporters and critics of the measure, read this news organization’s Measure A voter guide.
