KTVU-TV (Oakland, CA) - West Coast Wrap

>> today, california state supreme co that riverside sheriff chad bianco must return the ballo seized from last november's specialon statewide congressional redis bianco confiscly0,000 ballots on the basis that he was investiga alleged voter fraud. in a unanimous decision, the court the sheriff's action was unlawful.tices pointed to state law tha requires voting ballots remain in the custody officials, during a criminal investigation. californiaal rob bonta ordered bianco to ballots. was an case. a s who ignored my clear and lawful directives and violated the law. election i be carried out respoline with the facts and the law. anything undermines public trust and the rule of l >> election officials inrside county had said thes of voter fraud unfounded. bianco was for governor at the time, did not make it primary. now, b issued a statement inponse to today's courtg, saying in part, quote, people in power get asked hard about an election. i asked them forhe court handed bonta t to pause a local investigation the evidence behind registrar. i obey the writs. i willy the message behindthat local law enforceme for sacramento for the people who us. joining u now is sunny walk, senior staff at ucla voting rights project, which also bianco over those thank you so much for joionight. so why did court conclude that the shre of these ballot fact, unlawful? >> thank you for having me.t concluded that the law is extraordinarily clear in californian no event shall ballo taken out of the election official you know, doesn't mean yest really affirmed that>> yeah. so when the court voting ballots must remain custody of officials, there is a criminal investigation, why is tha distinction so important here? >> well, first, it's ballots are i important. and so we don't them to bered with, handled in any manner that's outside prescribed code. the c legislature hasdreds, if not thousan pages on how to conduct, handle, store make sure that ot tampered with. and so that first, why it'sibly important. and there areultiple different wayslection code for anal investigation to. and if are somewhat implicated in that criminal investigation, there are,gain, lawfulhanisms already pres law. bianco did not seek go through any of those lawfulchannels. and so that is also why the writ issued today by court. >> the sheriff, argued that he had warrants authorizing theeizure. seizure? why weren warrants enough to allow him take custody of ballots? >> as the court even a search wars case, the legisla was quite clear a search wa is not a blanket to seize ballots. and if bianco wasstigating these ballots, he should have gone through the proper channels alreadyribed in law. and so it's n seek a search warranto go to a grand it's to go to thedistrict attorney, have tho ballots brought to a court custody of electionls, and followed through with the procedure that is designated in law. >> and something eurt addressed was thatnco was reqlow attorney gene bonta directive. what today's ruling say about relationship between the attorney general and county she >> ruling the bonta case that the sheriff's have to to respect theirective and follow the die attorney genera you know, in ourit's incredibly clear that sheriff bianco duty and a mandate to fol the law and that,nal investig of a sheriff not override the requirements to ensur ballots andns are ballots are handled and elections are free and >> all right. really a breaking down today'sruling regarding chad and those ballots. than much for joining me tonight.