Norby Makes It Official: Carona Should Resign

When I interviewed Supervisor Chris Norby on November 5, he said if Sheriff Mike Carona asked him what to do, he'd say resign:

Today, in his "Norby Notes" newsletter, he makes it official:

Chris Norby Sheriff: Only One Best Option
The federal criminal indictment against Sheriff Michael Carona has placed a cloud over Orange County’s largest department. Only the Sheriff can lift this cloud by resigning his position and allowing the Board of Supervisors to appoint new leadership. So far he is seeking vindication through the looming trial, but the judicial process may take many months and will, at the very least, reveal serious issues in the department’s leadership.

It is true, as the Sheriff asserts, that his chief accusers are men who are themselves confessed felons. But these are the very men—George Jaramillo and Don Haidl—who the Sheriff installed at the highest levels of leadership and who’s admitted felonious activity happened under the Sheriff’s supervision. This trio is the Sheriff once described as the “Team Forever”.

All elected officials have been subjected to false charges and many to nuisance civil lawsuits. But a federal criminal indictment is quite rare. While all Americans are accorded to presumption of innocence, elected officials have a much higher bar.

The past Board of Supervisors has its share of culpability. On December 15, 1998, at Sheriff Carona’s request, the Board voted to abolish the previous qualifications for Assistant Sheriff, opening the gate for Haidl and Jaramillo. No one on the current Board was part of that action, but we must act now to restore those professional standards.

In his own words, Sheriff Carona has taken a “60 day leave of absence.” In reality, he still holds title to Sheriff, retains his salary and all powers related to the office. The only way to relinquish them is to resign. As elected officials, we derive our titles and powers from the voters. We can resign permanently but cannot step aside temporarily. We’re either in office, or not.

The Sheriff also designated Joanne Galisky as “Acting Sheriff” (his term) with day-to-day operational responsibilities. Galisky has been with the department 23 years and serves as Under-Sheriff with Carona. But she cannot be “Acting Sheriff”. There is no such title in law. Only the duly elected Sheriff can be Sheriff, until his term expires, he resigns or is recalled.

Should he resign, the Board would appoint a successor, having all the powers of Sheriff. Until then, there is great public confusion as to who is really operating the department. What happens after the 60 day leave of absence? By then, the trial may not even have begun and could last well into next summer.

To address this, the Board of Supervisors considered a ballot measure that would empower us to place an indicted Sheriff (or any other county elected official) on paid administrative leave and appoint an interim department head. That interim would have all powers as Sheriff, D.A., Treasurer, or to whatever post was affected. This would have also applied to Supervisors. It wasn’t perfect but would have assured smooth transfer of authority during a crisis. Critics said it gave the Board too much power to punish politically unpopular officials, but it would only apply to those who had been criminally indicted, which is quite rare.

The measure failed on a 3-2 vote, with Supervisor Moorlach and I supporting it. We both wanted to place this on the February ballot to give the voters some recourse in the current unfortunate situation, and others that might arise. Without such a tool, the Board of Supervisors can do very little other than non-binding resolutions or individual calls for resignation.

My office has been flooded with calls and emails, running 9-1 for us to take action regarding the Sheriff’s Department. Overwhelmingly these are messages of outrage, concern and embarrassment, all of which I share.

The Sheriff’s deputies who patrol our streets, guard the jails and solve crimes will continue to do their duty regardless of top management. But there are many long-term projects and budget decisions that need the attention of a full-time Sheriff empowered to act and plan for the long-term. Let us hope we get one soon.

Comments

[rich white guy]

Stop the crazy talk of resignation! Sheriff Carona will be speaking real soon to the Full Disclosure Network concerning this Firestorm. The full interview of Sheriff Carona and his Firestorm will be released in a few days, by the Full Disclosure Network to 45 cable systems and the Internet.

Your continued support of OUR SHERIFF, Michael Carona, is greatly appreciated during this recent Firestorm.

Headlights On!

&

Stop The Crazy Talk!

[NO RUSH TO JUDGMENT]

I wish Norby and Moorlach would resign! cut the crap guys!! carona has led us to infinity and beyond and well keep on fighting till the end!!! we are the champions we are the champions rock on rich white guy!!

[John]

Carona at best is a moron and his under sheriff only holds a GED. I cant imagine what makes up the rest of the riff raf of this department. On the flip side the people vying for his job appear just as slimy. Chief Paul Walters of Santa Ana had no problem endorsing Corona (even after a brutal election..wonder why) and having his son get a job at OCSD yet now wants people to believe his is a fresh face for the department. Then you have Bill Hunt who was a-ok with Corona as long as he was to be Sheriff later (check the registers reports) but when it was taking to long wanted to run and got whooped. Its time for OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY leadership, this department has been a joke since LaDuecer and the boys and is even worse now and that needs to change.

Where is the outrage?

Two of the county GOP's favorite son's are under Federal Indictment.

And the leadership and it's cheerleaders sit by quietly.

It's as if it's a self fullfilling phrophecy. If they had brains or balls they would do something.

Unfortunately, they have neither.

[Brock Landers]

The power to remove someone from office is already in place, it is a recall. We dont need a Board of Supervisors consolidating power so that they are the deciders on who gets to stay in office and who doesnt. What nerve to think that they should hold the power to dismiss an elected official. these guys were only elected by 1/5th of the electorate, and they want to remove an official from office that was elected with probably 5 times as many voters than they individually recieved?? i feel like i am taking crazy pills this idea is so ridiculous.

The three supes need to hold strong on their opposition to this lame idea. If the people want this to be voted on, then let the people place this on the ballot. if it is such a good idea, then why dont the people bring it forth? We are adults. We know how this system works. We know how to clean up a mess that we created. Dont for a second think that the voters dont know how to deal with this. Norby and Moorlach obviously dont trust the voters, the same people that put them in the place that they are in right now. Sure doesnt seem like they hold us in such high regard.