Supervisor Backs O.C. Sheriff’s Actions

The chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Monday said he was satisfied that Sheriff Michael S. Carona had the legal authority to remove a campaign rival from his job as head of police services in San Clemente.

William Campbell, after he and Supervisors Chris Norby and Lou Correa met separately with Carona, said that he urged the sheriff to publicly detail reasons for any action he might take against Lt. William Hunt. Hunt was suspended with pay a day after Carona narrowly defeated his lieutenant and two outside challengers in the June 6 election.

Campbell said Carona did not discuss the specific allegations against Hunt, but that Carona and an advisor asserted the sheriff’s legal right to take the actions.

Hunt said he was told he was being investigated for statements he had made during the campaign criticizing Carona’s leadership. Carona has not disclosed the reasons for the action, which triggered protests from Hunt supporters in San Clemente and elsewhere who accused the sheriff of vindictiveness.

“I said that I hoped within the boundaries of the Peace Officers Bill of Rights that you can make as many facts as possible available to the public so we don’t look like we’re acting capriciously,” Campbell said he told Carona during an afternoon meeting. “We already look like that now.”

The Peace Officers Bill of Rights law provides a series of employment protections for the state’s officers and prohibits law enforcement agencies from disciplining or firing officers without due process.

Special outside counsel Martin J. Mayer also attended the meeting with Campbell. The supervisors hired Mayer in December at Carona’s request to advise the sheriff on personnel matters. Mayer was involved in the internal investigation that led to Hunt’s suspension.

Mayer came to the meeting with Campbell armed with a list of court decisions that he said supported the legal authority of elected officials over those in policy-making positions -- up to and including termination. Mayer also told supervisors the sheriff could move Hunt to a lesser job or return him to his previous job.

The decision is Carona’s, said Campbell, who endorsed the sheriff’s reelection to a third term. “We control his budget, but the sheriff makes personnel decisions, particularly on something like this,” Campbell said.