Opinion ID: 2611807
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Creation of the CLERB

Text: (1) Defendants assert Government Code sections 31000.1 and 25303 (all further statutory references are to this code unless otherwise indicated) provide authority for the creation and existence of the CLERB. Section 31000.1 provides: The board of supervisors may appoint commissions or committees of citizens to study problems of general or special interest to the board and to make reports and recommendations to the board. The members of such commissions need not be specially trained or experienced with respect to the matters to be studied.... Section 25303 requires a county board of supervisors to supervise the official conduct of all county officers, and officers of all districts and other subdivisions of the county, and particularly insofar as the functions and duties of such county officers ... relate to the assessing, collecting, safekeeping, management, or disbursement of public funds. (Italics added.) The statute specifies that the independent and constitutionally and statutorily designated investigative and prosecutorial functions of the sheriff and district attorney shall not be affect[ed] or obstruct[ed] by the board of supervisors' oversight. Plaintiff asserts section 25303 gives the board of supervisors only the authority to monitor the fiscal conduct of county officers. Although the statute stresses the need for such supervision, it is plainly not so limited. Indeed, as one court has observed in a different context, the statute permits the board of supervisors to supervise county officers in order to insure that they faithfully perform their duties.... ( People v. Langdon (1976) 54 Cal. App.3d 384, 390 [126 Cal. Rptr. 575].) [4] Indeed, the operations of the sheriff's and probation departments and the conduct of employees of those departments are a legitimate concern of the board of supervisors. As the Court of Appeal observed below: Review of citizen complaints and peace officer-related deaths might suggest the need for new or different types of training for personnel in the two departments which the [board of supervisors] would have to fund. Politically the [board of supervisors] might be concerned about public distrust of investigations conducted by either the sheriff or district attorney and hopeful that investigations by a group not aligned with law enforcement would restore public confidence, particularly if that group reached conclusions consistent with the sheriff and district attorney. Plaintiff next asserts the very existence of the CLERB is preempted by or otherwise in conflict with state law. He argues the CLERB will inevitably obstruct and infringe on the investigative functions of the sheriff (see Pen. Code, § 832.5, subd. (a) [mandating establishment by sheriff of procedure to investigate citizens' complaints against sheriff personnel]) and district attorney, and the constitutional oversight of the Attorney General over the sheriff (see Cal. Const., art. V, § 13 [Attorney General has direct supervision over every district attorney and sheriff]). We agree with the Court of Appeal that these concerns are answered by section 25303 and San Diego County Administrative Code article XVIII, section 340.15, under which the board operates. The cited statewide statute, as noted above, specifies that the board of supervisors' oversight responsibility shall not obstruct the investigative function of the sheriff of the county nor shall it obstruct the investigative and prosecutorial function of the district attorney of a county. (§ 25303.) The cited county code section requires the CLERB to cooperate and coordinate with the sheriff and district attorney so that all three may properly discharge their responsibilities. (San Diego County Admin. Code, art. XVIII, § 340.15.) Given these requirements, we assume the CLERB will not interfere with the proper functioning of the two other county officials, or with the Attorney General's constitutional responsibility to oversee the sheriff. (Cf. People v. Brophy (1942) 49 Cal. App.2d 15, 28 [120 P.2d 946]; Beck v. County of Santa Clara (1988) 204 Cal. App.3d 789, 796-797 [251 Cal. Rptr. 444].) [5] We conclude that under section 25303, the board of supervisors has a statutory duty to supervise the conduct of all county officers. (See People v. Langdon, supra, 54 Cal. App.3d 384, 390.) Moreover, section 31000.1 permits the board of supervisors to establish a commission of citizens to study and report on matters within the board's general or special interest. It follows that the creation and existence of the CLERB is authorized by statute, and is thus a proper exercise of charter county authority under California Constitution, article XI, section 4, subdivision (h).