California Supreme Court orders Riverside sheriff to return 650,000 ballots and affirms state AG oversight
The Supreme Court of California issued two unanimous opinions on Thursday ordering Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to return approximately 650,000 voted ballots seized following the November 2025 special election. Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero held that Elections Code section 15551, as it then read, prohibited removing ballots from election officials' custody even during criminal investigations. The court also held that Article V, Section 13 of the California Constitution grants Attorney General Rob Bonta binding supervisory authority over county sheriffs' investigations.
Order (Supreme Court of California) → · KQED, State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General, Horvitz & Levy LLP