Scott Jones (sheriff)

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Scott Jones
36th Sheriff of Sacramento County
In office
December 10, 2010 – December 9, 2022
Preceded byJohn McGinnis
Succeeded byJim Cooper
Personal details
Born
Scott Robert Jones

(1967-08-10) August 10, 1967 (age 56)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseChristy
Children4
EducationCalifornia State University, Sacramento (BS)
Lincoln Law School of Sacramento (JD)

Scott Robert Jones (born August 10, 1967) is an American attorney, politician, and former law enforcement officer who served as the sheriff of Sacramento County, California from 2010-2022.[1][2] Jones was first elected in 2010, winning re-election to his post in 2014 and again in 2018.[3][4]

Early life and education[edit]

Jones was raised in Southern California and moved to Sacramento with his family as a child. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from the California State University, Sacramento and a Juris Doctor from the Lincoln Law School of Sacramento in 1998.[5][6]

Career[edit]

Jones joined the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department in 1989. During his tenure, he has served in corrections, patrol, and legal affairs. He later served as the department's legal advisor.[7]

2016 U.S. congressional campaign[edit]

In November 2015, Jones announced he would run for U.S. Congress in California's 7th congressional district in 2016. Jones, a Republican, faced incumbent Democrat Ami Bera in the November 2016 general election.[8] Bera defeated Jones in the general election, winning 51% of the vote to Jones's 49%. The margin of victory was 4,802 votes.[9]

Jones was endorsed by the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, a labor union for carpenters.[10] Focuses of his campaign included economic issues, assistance for veterans and seniors, immigration, and national security.[11]

2022 U.S. congressional campaign[edit]

In January 2022, Jones announced that he would retire as sheriff and run for California's 3rd congressional district in the 2022 election.[12] He was defeated in the June primary after receiving 16.2 percent of the vote.[13]

Political positions[edit]

Jones believes in a pathway to legal status for immigrants who are in the United States illegally, and he is opposed to the deportation of illegal immigrants. He is personally opposed to abortion but does not believe it should be illegal. He opposes Republican Party efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. He supports gay marriage. He is opposed to a minimum wage increase and to the legalization of recreational marijuana.[14]

COVID-19[edit]

In 2020, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department received $104 million in federal coronavirus relief funds after it stated that its employees would be "substantially dedicated" to addressing COVID-19 in the form of public education and breaking up social gatherings.[15] However, in June 2020, in response to a statewide mandate to wear masks in public to address the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheriff Jones said that his deputies would not enforce the mandate.[16] In November 2020, hours before the state was about to announce new stay-at-home restrictions and curfews across much of the state, Jones announced that his department "would not enforce any health or emergency orders related to curfews, staying at home, Thanksgiving or other social gatherings inside or outside the home",[16][15] or any other orders in effect at the time or in the future,[17] calling emergency health orders "oppressive", "arbitrary" and "unrealistic".[17][18] In an interview in late November 2020, Dr. Peter Beilenson, the Sacramento County health director, said that Jones' lack of enforcement actions had worsened the spread of the coronavirus in the county.[15] In early December 2020, the sheriff's office announced that Jones had tested positive for the virus, and dozens of sheriff's department employees had also tested positive.[16][19]

Personal life[edit]

Jones is married and has four children. He has served on the Make-A-Wish Foundation Northeastern California and Northern Nevada chapter board of directors since 2014.[20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kawahara, Matt (December 10, 2010). "Scott Jones Sworn in Tonight as Sacramento County Sheriff". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  2. ^ Schmidt, Bob (September 30, 2011). "Newsmaker: Scott Jones". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  3. ^ Minugh, Kim (March 12, 2014). "Sheriff Scott Jones is only candidate to qualify for ballot in June election". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. ^ Lillis, Ryan (June 20, 2018). "Scott Jones clinches third term as Sacramento County sheriff". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Notable". Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  6. ^ "Need to Know: Who is Sheriff Scott Jones". abc10.com. December 4, 2018. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  7. ^ "Sheriff Jones, Scott - 2012 Lincoln Law School Graduation Commencement Speaker". Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  8. ^ Miller, Jim (November 13, 2015). "Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones plans 2016 challenge of Democratic Rep. Ami Bera". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  9. ^ "U.S. House of Representatives District 7 - Districtwide Results". California Secretary of State. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  10. ^ Cadelago, Christopher (February 17, 2016). "Labor group endorses Republican Scott Jones over Bera". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  11. ^ Myers, Josh (November 16, 2015). "Sacramento County sheriff launches bid for Congress, slams Obama immigration efforts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  12. ^ "Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones vying for seat in 3rd Congressional District". abc10.com. January 24, 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-07.
  13. ^ "California Third Congressional District Primary Election Results". The New York Times. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  14. ^ Cadelago, Christopher (January 28, 2016). "Q&A: Scott Jones talks issues: Immigration, abortion, marijuana, guns". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  15. ^ a b c Rodd, Scott (24 November 2020). "Sacramento Sheriff's Office Breaks COVID-19 Enforcement Commitment After Collecting Millions In Federal Relief Funding". Capital Public Radio. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  16. ^ a b c Peiser, Jaclyn (3 Dec 2020). "The Sacramento sheriff refused to enforce covid health measures. He has now tested positive for the virus". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 Dec 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Newsom's coronavirus curfew will have 'oppressive effect' on community: Sacramento Co. Sheriff". Yahoo! News. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  18. ^ Shaddox, Rowena (24 November 2020). "Sacramento County sheriff says he won't be enforcing Gov. Newsom's curfew, stay-at-home order". Fox 40 News (Sacramento). Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  19. ^ Rodd, Scott (2 December 2020). "Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones Tests Positive for COVID-19". Capital Public Radio. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  20. ^ "Sheriff Scott Jones". Sacramento Business Journal. May 2, 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2016.

External links[edit]

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