California Supreme Court orders sheriff to return 650,000 illegally seized ballots
The California Supreme Court ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco illegally seized approximately 650,000 ballots during a voter fraud inquiry and ordered their immediate return. The court found the seizure violated election law, with Associate Justice Goodwin H. Liu calling the removal of over 1,000 boxes of ballots a serious violation of democratic rights. The sheriff had been investigating alleged fraud in California's 2025 special election on congressional redistricting.
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California Supreme Court rules sheriff must return illegally seized ballots
The California Supreme Court has ruled that a Republican sheriff must return ballots he seized during a voter fraud inquiry. Multiple news outlets, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Sacramento Bee, report that the court found the seizure of approximately 650,000 ballots to be illegal. The ruling is seen as a significant check on law enforcement overreach in election matters. The Guardian notes the sheriff confiscated the ballots as part of an investigation into alleged voter fraud. Democracy Docket, a legal advocacy group, characterized the ruling as shutting down a potential roadmap for rogue law enforcement to disrupt midterm elections. The decision mandates the return of the ballots and reinforces the legal boundaries for law enforcement involvement in election processes.
Read sourceCalifornia Supreme Court Rules Republican Sheriff Illegally Seized Over 650,000 Ballots
The California Supreme Court has ruled that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican, illegally seized over 650,000 ballots during an investigation into voter fraud. The court ordered the sheriff to return the confiscated ballots. Multiple news outlets, including KQED, The New York Times, Yahoo, The Guardian, and Democracy Docket, reported on the ruling. The California Attorney General has vowed 'legal consequences' for the sheriff's actions. The ruling marks a significant legal rebuke of the sheriff's inquiry, which the court deemed unlawful.
Read sourceCalifornia Supreme Court orders Riverside County sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots
The California Supreme Court has ordered the Riverside County sheriff to return approximately 650,000 seized ballots. The ruling comes after a legal dispute over the sheriff's office's seizure of ballots during an investigation. The court's decision mandates the immediate return of the ballots to election officials, ensuring they are processed for the upcoming election. The sheriff's office had seized the ballots as part of a probe, but the court found that the seizure was not legally justified and could interfere with the electoral process. The order aims to protect voter rights and maintain the integrity of the election. The AP News report highlights the court's swift action to resolve the matter, with the sheriff's office expected to comply. The incident has drawn attention to election security and law enforcement's role in ballot handling.
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California Supreme Court Orders Republican Sheriff to Return 650,000 Seized Ballots
The California Supreme Court ordered Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return approximately 650,000 ballots he illegally seized from election officials during an investigation into voter fraud that state officials called baseless. The ballots were cast in California's 2025 special election on congressional redistricting. The court had previously ordered Bianco to halt his investigation in April, and on September 24, 2026, ruled he lacked authority to take the ballots. Associate Justice Goodwin H. Liu wrote that the unlawful removal of over 1,000 boxes of ballots was a serious violation of democratic rights. Bianco, who was running for governor of California at the time but finished fourth in the June primary, remained unrepentant and attacked Attorney General Rob Bonta. The article notes that President Trump has fueled election fraud conspiracies, and that Bianco's actions exemplify Republican accusations that are confessions of undermining elections. The piece also forecasts that with Trump and the GOP polling at record lows, conservatives may cry foul over November's results.
California Supreme Court Rules Republican Sheriff Illegally Seized Ballots, Orders Return
The California Supreme Court has ruled against Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, ordering him to return approximately 650,000 ballots that his office seized during a voter fraud inquiry. The court found that the sheriff's actions were illegal and exceeded his authority. Multiple news outlets, including The New York Times, The Guardian, and AP News, report that the court ordered the sheriff to shut down the ballot inquiry and return all confiscated ballots. The ruling represents a significant legal defeat for the Republican sheriff, who had initiated the investigation into alleged voter fraud. The court's decision emphasizes the protection of voting rights and the proper legal procedures for handling election-related matters.
Read sourceCalifornia Supreme Court rules Riverside County sheriff's ballot seizure unlawful
The California Supreme Court has ruled that the Riverside County sheriff's seizure of approximately 650,000 ballots was unlawful, ordering the sheriff to return the confiscated ballots. The court found that the sheriff broke election law by seizing the ballots during a voter 'fraud' inquiry. Multiple news outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Yahoo, CalMatters, and The Washington Post, reported on the ruling, which mandates the return of the ballots to election officials.
Read sourceCalifornia Supreme Court orders Republican sheriff to return 650,000 seized ballots
The California Supreme Court has ordered a Republican sheriff to return approximately 650,000 ballots that he confiscated as part of a voter fraud inquiry. The court ruled that the sheriff's seizure of the ballots was illegal and ordered him to shut down the inquiry. Multiple major news outlets, including The Guardian, The New York Times, NBC News, Bloomberg Law News, and The Washington Post, are reporting on this development. The sheriff had initiated the investigation into alleged voter fraud, but the state's highest court determined that the seizure exceeded his legal authority. The ruling requires the sheriff to return all confiscated ballots to election officials and cease his investigation into the matter.
Read sourceCalifornia Supreme Court rules sheriff broke election law by seizing ballots
The California Supreme Court has ruled that a Republican sheriff in Riverside County broke election law by seizing approximately 650,000 ballots during a voter fraud inquiry. The court ordered the sheriff to return the confiscated ballots, stating that the seizure was unlawful. Multiple news outlets, including CalMatters, The New York Times, The Guardian, the Los Angeles Times, and NBC News, reported on the ruling. The sheriff had initiated the seizure as part of an investigation into alleged voter fraud, but the state's highest court determined that the action violated election laws. The ruling underscores the legal protections surrounding ballot handling and the limits of law enforcement authority in election matters.