State Attorney General Rob Bonta announced his office is opening a civil rights investigation into the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office over allegations that include misconduct in county jails and resistance to oversight.

The Sheriff’s Office has faced much criticism under six-term Sheriff Laurie Smith. In August, the county Board of Supervisors gave a unanimous vote of no confidence for Smith that alleged jail mismanagement, a “pay-to-play” scheme involving gun permits issued by her office, and the death or serious injury of inmates, resulting in settlements that have cost the county millions.

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Dan McMenamin is the managing editor at Bay City News, directing daily news coverage of the 12-county greater Bay Area. He has worked for BCN since 2008 and has been managing editor since 2014 after previously serving as BCN’s San Francisco bureau reporter. A UC Davis graduate, he came to BCN after working for a newspaper and nonprofit in the Davis area. He handles staffing, including coaching of our interns, day-to-day coverage decisions and management of the newswire.