The answers are complicated, and Villanueva has suggested he would challenge any effort to remove him. Gen. Bill Lockyer concluded that a county charter may grant the board of supervisors the authority to remove the sheriff, district attorney or other county officer for cause with a four-fifths vote. In San Bernardino County, the board of supervisors never actually tried to remove the sheriff, said county spokesman David Wert. “As far as the board motion, I think they are blinded by their frustration and focused on the personality conflict instead of the safety of their communities,” he said. “I still stand by my belief that the sheriff is elected,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who opposes the motion.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 29, 2020 16:40 UTC