Sonoma County’s law enforcement watchdog is appealing a judge’s order that prohibits it from issuing subpoenas to Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram and his deputies to investigate a complaint from a whistleblower.

In July, the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach asked the Sonoma County Superior Court to intervene after the sheriff refused to comply with subpoenas from IOLERO. The case has drawn broad interest as counties around the state start to establish and test new civilian oversight powers granted in recent years.

The dispute centers on a complaint brought by a county employee that appears to involve at least four Sheriff’s Office staff, including sworn officers. The exact nature of the case has not been disclosed. Court filings indicate the subpoenas sought disciplinary and personnel records. Engram and the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, a labor union that represents sworn officers on patrol and in other units, rejected the subpoenas, saying they violated members’ rights.

Unsettled questions

In a September ruling, Superior Court Judge Bradford DeMeo sided with the Sheriff’s Office. He found that while IOLERO has the right to issue subpoenas in some investigations, it does not extend to whistleblower complaints. DeMeo left unsettled a question of whether IOLERO is covered by a state law, AB 1185, that granted broad subpoena powers to county sheriff oversight boards or inspectors general in 2021.

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