Pat Withrow will continue to be the San Joaquin County Sheriff for nearly the remainder of this decade.
On Tuesday, Jan. 3, Withrow will take the oath of office at noon in front of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters in French Camp – beginning what will be a six-year term serving the residents of San Joaquin County.
When coupled with the four-year term he was elected to in 2018, Withrow will serve residents of the county for at least a decade.
While the San Joaquin County Sherriff is usually elected for a four-year term, the decision by the State of California to move line up both district attorney and sheriff’s races with the Presidential election means that Withrow will get to serve an additional two years.
Assembly Bill 759, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, was written with the aim of increasing the exposure of the highly important elected positions. But multiple officials in Southern California have expressed displeasure with the law, while others like the Sheriff of Riverside County welcomed the change that will come with two additional years to serve constituents.
Withrow announced the swearing-in during his monthly address to constituents that was posted to the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page on Thursday. In the video he wished all residents of San Joaquin County a Merry Christmas, and urged all residents to refrain from climbing behind the wheel of a car if they’ve been drinking during the holidays – even going so far as to encourage people to call the sheriff’s office for a ride before risking the lives of innocent motorists on the roadway.
To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email [email protected] or call 209.249.3544.