photo credit: Noah Abrams/KRCB
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office headquarters in Santa Rosa.

California's supreme court has settled some big questions about police oversight in Sonoma County.

This week, the state's highest court chose not to review an appeal from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office and a deputy labor group.

The decision leaves in place a March appeals court ruling that gives IOLERO, Sonoma County's Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach, the ability to investigate whistleblower complaints.

IOLERO's interim Director Matthew Chavez said, "we will go ahead and move forward with them and we will work with the sheriff's office to move forward on compliance."

Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram, in a statement, said "this provision was in legal doubt...now there is legal clarity on this issue. I will enforce this provision as I have the others that were previously deemed legal."

The conflict traces back to 2020's Measure P, a law enforcement oversight measure which gives IOLERO the ability to investigate whistleblower complaints at the Sheriff's Office.

Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies have argued they weren't properly consulted about Measure P, and lodged a labor dispute over it.

The back and forth resulted in a multi year legal battle.

Then in 2024, IOLERO, under former director John Alden went to court in an effort to clarify IOLERO's power to investigate whistleblower complaints.

A state court initially sided with the Sheriff's Office and deputies, but judges in the California's 1st Appeals Court sided with IOLERO. The Sheriff's Office then appealed that decision to California's supreme court to no avail.

The supreme court decision could also give a boost to other sheriff oversight agencies in California facing similar legal questions.