Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Kelley Paul on Thursday ordered the recusal of District Attorney Jeff Rosen and his entire office from retrying a Stanford felony vandalism case, citing a conflict of interest. Rosen filed felony vandalism and conspiracy charges in April 2025 against 12 Stanford University students and allies, after they allegedly broke...
Early voting begins as Santa Clara County mails ballots
Santa Clara County election officials are anticipating the highest midterm primary voter turnout in years as they mail ballots to households that will determine a slate of local races — and whether San Jose’s mayor has a shot at becoming governor. More than 1 million active registered voters in Santa Clara County can expect a...
Santa Clara County report shows jail worker exploited women
A Santa Clara County jail worker sexually exploited incarcerated women in a prolonged pattern that officials are accused of failing to act on for more than a year — allegations the Sheriff’s Office denies. A new report from the county office charged with watchdogging the sheriff and county jails said a male correctional worker, who was...
Silicon Valley buyers need $1M+ salaries for homes in priciest cities
A household now needs to earn more than $500,000 annually to afford a typical home in the San Jose metro area, according to a new national housing affordability analysis that again ranked the South Bay as the most expensive housing market in the U.S. The report by ConsumerAffairs found buyers in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara...
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds audit reveals conflicts of interest
A new audit suggests the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds harbored conflicts of interest and questionable contracts for years, as county leaders seek to take direct control of the 165-acre public property. County auditors — in a report published this month — found fairgrounds management approved three contracts that totaled at least $1 million with vendors...
Silicon Valley Business Alliance calls for halt to gas-appliance ban
A coalition of South Bay business leaders and anti-regulation advocates is urging Bay Area air regulators to halt a forthcoming ban on gas-powered water heater installations set to take effect next year. Dozens gathered in front of the Santa Clara County Government Center on Monday to take part in an event organized by the Silicon...
Santa Clara County could build bike-only park trails
The Bay Area is a paradox – both the birthplace of mountain biking and a well of local opposition. Now Santa Clara County is poised to embrace the sport in a major way. County leaders are exploring the creation of bike-only trails in county parks to avoid illegal tracks in sensitive areas and conflicts between...
Santa Clara County budget makes steep cuts to safety net programs
Santa Clara County leaders are recommending a net reduction of 464 jobs across the region’s social safety net programs to shoulder a $787 million deficit in their nearly $15 billion budget. County Executive James Williams’ Friday recommendations mark a 7.5% spending increase to the county budget compared to last year, as expenses continue to outpace...
Santa Clara County public defenders crushed by caseloads
Santa Clara County public defenders have become a model for getting poor people out of jail before their trials. But their caseloads have exceeded national standards by staggering percentages and upcoming budget talks have the ability to plug an ongoing drain of attorneys. The county has lost 33 public defenders – who are constitutionally mandated...
Silicon Valley mental health crisis team at risk of losing funding
People are seeking out Santa Clara County’s non-police mental health crisis team more than any other response program. But it’s about to run out of money. County leaders are looking for ways to keep the Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST) program alive after state funding — which gave the program four years to evolve since launching...