Rosen reiterated Monday that his offices investigation is still active, but declined to comment on whether prosecutors are any closer to implicating the sheriff. He said its important to increase the offices transparency. DA Jeff Rosen alleged conspirators solicited $90,000 in campaign contributions for Sheriff Laurie Smiths political campaign in exchange for 10-12 concealed carry gun permits MORE @nbcbayarea. Prior to being elected as the 29th Sheriff of Santa Clara County, he was the Chief of Police for Palo Alto Police Department (2018-2022). Allen also wants to address the homophobia and racial inequitieshe sees in the office. She has spent months fending off attacks from the Board of Supervisors, which voted no confidence in her leadership. He replaces Capt. A San Jose native, he graduated from UCLA with a BA degree in history and from the University of Maryland with a MA degree in journalism. The department also said it's monitoring the situation and has no additional information to provide at this time. Santa Clara Sheriffs gun-permit process: public safety or politics? If convicted, all four defendants could face prison time. Saratoga installed an Automatic License Plate Reader system at several intersections last spring to track cars coming in and out of the city and deter crime. Hannah Kanik is a Bay Area News Group reporter covering Santa Clara County's West Valley for The Mercury News, East Bay Times, The Los Gatos Weekly and The Saratoga News. The Deputy Sheriffs Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. The DA's investigation began shortly after the general election in 2018, sparked by an inquiry from the Metro Silicon Valley weekly about executive security licensing and an extremely large campaign donation, which was reported in public filings. Jensen has also received endorsements from retired county supervisor Blanca Alvarado, Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley, Milpitas Mayor Rich Tran and former sheriff Robert Winter. Neil Valenzuela takes over Sheriffs West, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Los Gatos: Hundreds still without power as Black Road repair project finishes early, Capt. The remaining four defendants, who were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges, put off entering pleas until Sept. 21. Jensen has picked up support from the main unions serving jail employees: the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara County Correctional Peace Officers Association. The complete transcript of the grand jury's findings will be released in the coming weeks. NBC Bay Area called or emailed each of the four defendants in the case Friday, but so far, only Jensen's attorney has responded. Jensen lost that election, but he believes the time is right for a new run and cites the support from the association. SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 31: Santa Clara County Sheriff's Captain James Jensen is photographed outside of the Hall of Justice on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Jensen was. The $45,000 personal check, which Nielsen handed to the PSA's assistant treasurer, Schumb, represented more than half of the funds raised by the PSA before the election that year. Le apparently ran into trouble when her superiors did not like her project, and when they learned she didn't have a building permit. He may be contacted at 408-868-6612 or email at email Rich Urena. Jonsen, who filed his papers to run in January, has received endorsements from former state Sen.Jim Bell, the Democratic Asian Pacific American Club and the Sunnyvale Democratic Club. I was at the sheriff forum and only one candidate said she would uphold the US Constitution. Rosen said his office's probe was triggered by a San Jose Inside article focusing on a large 2018 contribution to Smith's campaign. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "I think as an elected official, she needs to come forward and tell the "The DA's office is continuing to investigate more crimes and more individuals related to Sheriff Smith's issuance of CCW licenses. An experienced set of fresh eyes is going to help pave the way toward putting an appropriate spotlight on transparency, and building trust within the community, Elder said. "But then when it came time to renew, I was not allowed to renew and those reasons were never explained to me phone calls were not returned," explained Moore. Allen was firm, fair and integrity was not an issue. In a statement, attorney Harry S. Stern said: "James is devastated by this development. The investigation found that weeks after the scheme was hatched, the conspirators settled on a $90,000 "donation" in exchange for 10 to 12 CCW licenses. Before that, he was chief of police in Menlo Park for five years. document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_5" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_6" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); San Jos residents deserve a trusted source for unbiased, independent political news. Urena told the council that he is prepared to take on the challenge. 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At Best in the West, according to the indictment, Nichols introduced Nielsen to Jensen, where they agreed to a deal where AS Solution's agents would receive CCW permits in exchange for a large donation to the Sheriff's campaign. Santa Clara County sheriff-elect Bob Jonsen will take office early after Board of Supervisors vote Jonsen, who was elected sheriff with 50.81% of the vote in November, will become the. Now, Long said he wants to a see a system that treats all applicants equally. Jensen, 58, retired in 2013. Allowing her team to continually bully and brutalize mentally challenged inmates is disgusting. Character is hugeif you dont have the ability to make decisions for the right reasons, it wont work, Jensen said. Jonsen said the county should offer more skill-based programs in the jails for inmates so they can find employment upon release. The Deputy Sheriffs' Association of Santa Clara County is throwing its support behind retired sheriff Capt. Kevin Jensen, who announced his run for sheriff last September. A sheriff sergeant with almost 30 years of service in the office, Sean Allen said his platform boils down to transparency, accountability and reform. Transcripts show the county supervisor blamed a chronically bad memory for his inability to recall whether he fulfilled the proficiency requirements. Hes raised $72,398 through campaign donations and a loan. They should not be for sale.". There has been a changing of the guard at the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office West Valley Division. "It's very unusual for a captain to be walked off in that manner for a project that wasn't for personal gain, on jail property. The other three members of her command staff including former Mountain View . A former manager for a security company who implicated a Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain and others in an alleged bribery scheme to trade political donations supporting the sheriff in exchange for concealed-carry weapons has testified in the civil corruption trial . "They should not be for sale. There were 44 reported burglaries from January to October of 2021, while 59 burglaries were reported in the same time period in 2022. She is a San Jose State University alumna and enjoys hiking and camping in her spare time. That is the County Sheriffs ultimate job duty. When I had asked him in one of those early conversations I got, like I dont remember the words it was, basically, Dont ask.'. Comments are moderated and approved by administrators. But the sheriff position is not just any typical management job. All Rights Reserved. He previously reported in Washington, D.C., Salinas and the East Bay, and is a middling triathlete. Santa Clara County sheriff faces grand jury accusation, no plea yet, Former opponent challenges embattled Santa Clara County sheriff, UPDATE: Santa Clara County pursues investigation of sheriff, Helen Chapman fights to save San Joses open space, Bejarano: Why I quit my East San Jose school board, Out of work: Beloved San Jose reverend faces uphill climb, Silicon Valley students stranded by shuttered schools, San Jose legislator wants to raise foster age. First published on August 7, 2020 / 11:34 AM. Emergency: 9-1-1; Emergency and Non-Emergency Number from all phones: (408) 299 - 2311; General Information from cellular phone: (408) 808 - 4400 Get San Jos Spotlight headlines delivered to your inbox. For the average member of the public, no matter how pressing or justified their need, if they follow the procedure laid out on the sheriff's website and mail in an application, it will will not be reviewed. BY EMILY MIBACH. How safe is your neighborhood? Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. A look at the best video roundup of snow falling across California, Has CA hit the all-time state snow record? If theres problems with speeding or people running stop signs, (these events) give them more direct access to us and assist them in a better way.. He supports the Board of Supervisors decision to build a new 500-person jail, and he favors adding more mental health resources for inmates. Look at all the officers that left for other agencies under his tenure. Southern California mountain residents head home, for many its the first time in days Sources have told this news organization that Nielsen a central figure in the scheme, who wrote the $45,000 check that touched off the investigation after Smith was re-elected in 2018 cooperated with investigators early on. "We will follow the evidence where it leads. County Sheriff's Captain, Prominent Lawyer Charged with Gun Permit Bribery Scheme. Laurie Smith (born June 21, 1952) was the 28th Sheriff of Santa Clara County, California, serving from 1998 until her early retirement in 2022 when under indictment for corruption. Instead, the application would be filed away and forgotten. Here's where we stand, Armed carjacking suspect leads police on dangerous chase. Jonsen said he also values transparency in law enforcement. Jensen's attorney Harry S. Stern released the following statement to ABC7 News: James is devastated by this development. Both Smith and Undersheriff Rick Sung invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination when they appeared before a criminal grand jury Aug. 3, and refused to answer any questions about the scandal, according to transcripts of the proceedings. According to the transcripts, Deputy District Attorney Matt Braker asked Montonye, (Jensen) said that Sung was the individual who brought Martin Nielsen to his attention? to which the investigator replied, Correct. Montonye also testified that Jensen said he was directed by Sung to give the money tell him to give the money to Schumb.. The morale will get better, then the whole department, Jensen told San Jos Spotlight. In addition Robert Johnson has done his best to avoid transparency. Palo Alto police are out-of-control and Palo Alto has lots of payouts to victims. If convicted could get 11 years in prison. The defendants are expected to be arraigned on the charges on Aug. 31. Contact Eli Wolfe at[emailprotected]or@EliWolfe4on Twitter. "I'm feeling very hopeful and optimistic, cautiously. Sheriff Robert Jonsen Sheriff's Office Facebook Page Sheriff's Office Twitter Feed Sheriff's Office Instagram Feed Contact Us 55 West Younger Avenue San Jose, CA 95110-1721 Phone: (408) 808-4400 Toll Free: (800) 211-2220 Fax: (408) 294-2467 Email: so.website@shf.sccgov.org Allen has received endorsements fromReverend Jeff Moore, former president of the Silicon Valley NAACP, and several retired sheriff employees. A sheriff's captain was among four people indicted by a grand jury on felony bribery and conspiracy charges as part of an election campaign scandal tied to Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, the District Attorney's Office said Friday. James Jensen, attorney Christopher Schumb, attorney Harpaul Nahal and business owner Michael Nichols allegedly conspired with the CEO and a middle manager of an international security company to offer a $90,000 bribe in exchange for concealed weapons permits, District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. Jensen advised Nielsen to instruct AS Solution employees who were not residents of Santa Clara County to use local corporate addresses as their residence addresses in their applications. As police chief in Palo Alto, Jonsen said hes helped the city implement a program that partners behavioral health workers with police officers to respond to psychiatric emergencies. Sheriff Bob Jonsen has been in law enforcement since 1986. SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office announced Friday that four people -- including a Santa Clara County Sheriff's captain -- have been indicted by. Sean Allen. How safe is your neighborhood? Detectives pursue all cases to conclusion from reports generated by patrol deputies, except those cases dealing with homicide, sex, or narcotics, which are . California law requires candidates for county sheriff to have experience as certified law enforcement officers. Thankfully, SJS usually gives the names of those who voted against a proposal. If the Sheriff lacks a full understanding of the Constitution it would stand to reason that he is vulnerable to violation of his oath. We are not done, he said. document.getElementById( "ak_js_4" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_5" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_6" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); San Jos residents deserve a trusted source for unbiased, independent political news. Captain James Jensen, attorney Christopher Schumb, attorney Harpaul Nahal, and business owner Michael Nichols are accused of conspiring with the CEO and a middle manager of AS Solution, Inc., an international security company, to offer a $90,000 bribe to obtain concealed firearms permits (CCW licenses) for the company's executive protection agents. I will let people know this department is going to be run based on performance and rewards for performance.. Sources tell the I-Team that Le was a supervisor at the Main Jail's sally port when a mentally ill inmate was beating his head against a post inside a transport van. In addition to conspiracy and bribery charges, Jensen is accused of falsifying public records. The conflict is so real and so grave that fair treatment of Schumb is unlikely unless the district attorneys office is disqualified, Wall wrote in the motion. Daily Post Staff Writer. 1:45 p.m. Sheriffs Capt. "CCW licenses should not be given in exchange for campaign donations," Rosen said. When asked if Jensen was acting on his own or working with Sheriff Smith, Rosen said that because the investigation was ongoing, it was not appropriate for him to comment on the possible roles of other individuals. Stromgren recalled a conversation he had with Nielsen: I told him on a couple of occasions I didnt feel comfortable. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group), SAN JOSE, CA - AUGUST 31: Attorney Christopher Schumb, right, is photographed outside of the San Jose Hall of Justice on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in San Jose, Calif. Schumb was arraigned on conspiracy and bribery charges involving concealed weapon permits in Santa Clara County. Moreover, he doesn't have the authority to grant permits nor did he receive anything for processing them.