Santa Clara Sheriff Candidate Facing Perjury Charges

One of the candidates who appeared on the June 7 ballot for Santa Clara County Sheriff is now facing criminal charges after prosecutors say she lied about her credentials to run for the county’s chief law enforcement position.

Anh Colton, who finished dead last in the sheriff’s race this month, has been charged with perjury for falsely stating she had recent law enforcement experience on a declaration form. In reality, Colton has never served in law enforcement.

According to the district attorney's office, Colton first received a visit from investigators in April. She referred the office to her campaign advisor, who then told prosecutors to stay away from Colton, according to the DA. Just before the election, employment records confirmed that Colton had no law enforcement experience and had lied on the forms. She could face up to four years in county jail if convicted.

The top two vote-getters in the sheriff’s race were Palo Alto Police Chief Robert Jonsen and retired county sheriff's Capt. Kevin Jensen. They will face each other in a runoff this November.

Read the latest election results from around California here.