District Attorney Thien Ho rips Sacramento County CEO as deputy district attorneys, public defenders' strike continues
In his commentary, Ho aggressively criticized county chief executive officer David Villanueva.
During an appearance before the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho ripped Sacramento County executives. Mr. Ho was speaking on behalf of striking Sacramento County deputy district attorneys and public defenders.
The district attorney spoke during comments on non-agenda items at the Wednesday, September 4 supervisors meeting. Board Chair Supervisor Patrick Kennedy gave Ho about 15 minutes to make his case on behalf of the striking attorneys (see video below).
In his commentary, Ho aggressively criticized county chief executive officer David Villanueva. Ho qualified his criticism by saying he did not relish his commentary about the county's chief executive officer.
"As frustrated as I am towards the lead negotiator and the labor relations for the county in terms of their tactics, I am even more frustrated and disappointed in the CEO," Ho said. "And the fact that we need not be here today at this stage, and yes, I am talking about David Villequnevea."
He added, "He made it worse,"
The district attorney also took the county's chief labor negotiator, Matt Connelly, to task. He said six months before the contract was to expire, the attorneys' union approached Connelly to initiate negotiations.
"But Matt Connely came to the table late, unprepared, and empty-handed," Ho said. "Without even a salary survey in hand, and he told the attorneys, 'I'm not going to give you any equity raises.'"
The deputy district attorneys and public defenders began the strike on August 26. He said the strike is affecting public safety and the administration of justice, and the county should act quickly to ensure the attorneys are paid comparably to other nearby counties so his office can remain a competitive employer.
Among the demands of the Sacramento County Attorneys Association is the retroactive cost of live pay to July 2022 for the cost of living, longevity a 401K match, and a 5.5 percent retroactive equity raise. The union also demands a 2 percent equity salary raise and a one to four percent cost-of-living increase for a one-year extension to its contract starting next July.
Among the numerous people speaking on behalf of the striking attorneys was former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. A popular figure in law enforcement circles, McGinness said he supports both the deputy district attorneys and the public defenders, saying their collective professionalism avoids costly appeals.
"I also have profound sense of appreciation for members of the public defenders office," McGinness said (see video below). "Extraordinary work is done there, that minimizes the costly, laborious appeals to convictions."
McGinness added, "Good legal work is necessary on both sides of the divide in our system of justice, our adversarial system of justice."
The remarks were made during non-agenda items, so the supervisors could not directly address the concerns. However, after hearing the speakers, Supervisor Rich Desmond noted that the matter would be addressed during their closed session, which was met with thunderous applause.
