Vallejo Misconduct Probe Delayed as City Intensifies Search for Firm

Vallejo City Council Reopens Search for Law Firm to Investigate Allegations

The Vallejo City Council made a significant decision on Tuesday, voting to restart the search for a law firm that will assess whether recent misconduct allegations against the City Attorney’s Office warrant an independent investigation. This move comes after the council determined that the previously selected firm, Renne Public Law Group, is unable to carry out the task.

During a closed session, the council directed City Manager Andrew Murray to solicit proposals from five new law firms to evaluate the allegations outlined in a July 24 letter from the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU). In a public portion of the meeting, Murray stated that Renne Public Law Group could not support the city's efforts and that another firm would need to be engaged.

Renne Public Law Group did not respond to requests for comment. While the city manager did not publicly disclose the reasons why the firm was no longer leading the initial probe, he emphasized that the new firms should be free from any conflict of interest. The city currently has an existing contract with Renne Public Law Group, which includes conducting an administrative review of the 2023 police shooting of Jamazea Kittell.

This shift in direction follows increased pressure from the community for greater transparency in city government. The ACLU's letter called for an independent investigation into the City Attorney’s Office, alleging violations of the City Charter and potential civil and criminal misconduct. The organization cited several issues, including the office’s role in illegally destroying evidence in police shootings, allegations that the city systematically defied court orders to produce officer misconduct files, ignored racist threats directed at the city’s first Black police chief, and delayed implementation of the city’s police oversight commission.

The city attorney’s office and city spokesperson Robert Briseño did not respond to requests for comment. However, the city issued a statement on July 28 to Open Vallejo, asserting that the ACLU letter "contains numerous statements and allegations relating to the City Attorney’s Office which are not factual." The statement added that the City Attorney’s Office remains committed to serving the City of Vallejo with honesty and integrity.

In a separate development, the city petitioned the state Supreme Court to suppress a third-party investigative report into the police department’s “Badge of Honor” scandal. This tradition, revealed by Open Vallejo in 2020, involved Vallejo police officers bending the tips of their badges to commemorate shooting civilians.

In June, the First District Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that the report and related materials must be released in response to a public records lawsuit brought by the ACLU. Open Vallejo filed two friend-of-the-court briefs in this case. The Vallejo City Council was divided on whether to seek review of the decision in the state Supreme Court.

A public records request by this newsroom, which the city initially denied in error, revealed that council members were split 4-3 in a June 3 vote to authorize the city attorney to pursue the appeal. Mayor Andrea Sorce, along with Councilmembers Tonia Lediju and Alexander Matias, voted in favor of releasing the report. Vice Mayor Peter Bregenzer, J.R. Matulac, Charles Palmares, and Helen-Marie Gordon voted to appeal to the Supreme Court, delaying the report’s disclosure.