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The first woman to become sheriff in California is now banned from holding public office again. That's Laurie Smith's punishment after being found guilty on all six charges in her civil corruption trial. A jury agreed with prosecutors that the 70-year-old traded permits to carry a concealed weapon for political donations. The verdict comes the same week she retired after nearly 50 years with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. Smith worked for the Sheriff's Department for nearly 50 years and held the position of Sheriff for 6 terms.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said this in a statement following the verdict: "We are gratified that the jury considered the evidence from our investigation and found all the allegations against the Sheriff to be true. We look forward to working with the next Sheriff and the honest and hard-working sheriff’s deputies to serve our community with honor and integrity."