Three people in suits standing, one woman and two men. The man in the middle wearing a striped tie and American flag pin watches something in the distance
Former Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker (center) in court on Dec. 4, 2024. File photo.

Former Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker’s sentencing hearing has been delayed by more than a month, extending the time he has to file an appeal.

Becker’s sentencing hearing has been moved to March 21 at 9 a.m. at the South County Morgan Hill Courthouse. His monthlong trial ended in December, after a jury found him guilty of perjury and failing to uphold his duties as a public official. Becker was accused of leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report before its official publication date to a 49ers team executive, and lying about it to the grand jury during its investigation.

Deputy Public Defender Chris Montoya, one of the lawyers representing Becker, previously told San José Spotlight he plans to appeal the guilty verdict. The appeal needs to be filed within 60 days of the judgment or sentencing.

Prosecutors requested Becker receive a “significant jail sentence” in a court document filed Jan. 24, claiming Becker didn’t show remorse during a discussion with probation officers.

“Even after his conviction for both charges, Becker has failed to take any responsibility for his actions,” prosecutors wrote. “Instead, Becker has rejected the jury’s finding. He told Probation that ‘he feels his conviction was ‘about politics’ and ‘justice was not served.””

During the trial’s closing arguments, Deputy District Attorney Jason Malinsky argued there’s ample evidence showing Becker lied about leaking the report, including testimony from former 49ers executive Rahul Chandhok and fellow Councilmember Suds Jain. Montoya questioned Chandhok’s credibility and argued the DA’s investigation wasn’t thorough enough.

Throughout the trial, Becker’s lawyers faced numerous objections to evidence related to the city’s political environment and the report’s contents. Before delivering closing arguments, they filed four motions, including a motion to declare a mistrial on the grounds that they were unable to pursue a holistic defense. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Javier Alcala denied all of them.

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.

Comment Policy (updated 5/10/2023): Readers are required to log in through a social media or email platform to confirm authenticity. We reserve the right to delete comments or ban users who engage in personal attacks, hate speech, excess profanity or make verifiably false statements. Comments are moderated and approved by admin.

Leave a Reply