The Fall of a Former Leader: Jail Time Sought for Ex-Vice Mayor

In a surprising turn of events, prosecutors are pushing for jail time for former Santa Clara Vice Mayor Anthony Becker. They believe he deserves significant jail time for his actions. Becker was found guilty of felony perjury and violating his duties as a government official. This all started with a civil grand jury report that accused him and other council members of having an inappropriate relationship with the San Francisco 49ers. The report claimed that there were secret meetings with team lobbyists. Becker was found guilty of leaking the report to the NFL team and a local news outlet, then lying about it under oath. Becker, who resigned from his post the day after the verdict, has maintained his innocence from the start. The prosecutors argue that Becker has shown no remorse. They point to a report where Becker told his probation officer that he feels his conviction was “about politics” and that “justice was not served. ” The prosecutors also argue that Becker didn’t take responsibility in his resignation letter, which didn’t mention his conviction. Becker’s resignation came less than two weeks before his term ended, as he had failed to win his November re-election bid. The prosecutors disagree with the Probation Department’s sentencing recommendation of probation. They argue that while his crimes don’t involve violence or the theft of large sums of money, it “does not make the crime less serious or make meaningful punishment less important. ” Perjury is not a minor or technical crime. It is a crime that attacks the foundation of the ordered administration of justice and undermines public confidence in the rule of law.

The prosecution’s push for jail time aligns with comments made to reporters immediately following the verdict. Perjury carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. In December, Rosen said that he felt like the crime doesn’t feel like “a state prison case, ” but that there “does need to be some accountability” that could look like a combination of county jail time and fines. The prosecutors also argued that the Probation Department wrongly asserted that Becker’s crimes were victimless. Becker’s actions gave a wealthy sports franchise an unfair advantage over those citizens who did not have connections or the financial means to make significant contributions to gain access to information and power that the San Francisco 49ers had. Becker also abused his power to try to give himself an advantage in a political campaign, which impacted every resident in the city of Santa Clara. The civil grand jury report, titled “Unsportsmanlike Conduct, ” was set to be released weeks before Election Day as Becker fought to unseat Mayor Lisa Gillmor. The report, however, appeared in several news outlets days before its scheduled public release. The 49ers — who spent $1. 4 million in support of Becker and another roughly $1 million opposing Gillmor — quickly jumped into action after they received a copy of the report from Becker, testimony during the trail revealed. The NFL team called it a “shocking political hatchet job” and investigated whether any of the civil grand jurors had connections to Gillmor. Christopher Montoya, a deputy public defender representing Becker, could not be reached for comment but has said that they plan on appealing the case. Becker is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21.

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