Sandra Hutchens was sworn in as Orange County Sheriff on Thursday. A ceremonial swearing in will take place on Tuesday.
Chairman John Moorlach of the Orange County Board of Supervisors had this to say of the swearing in:
On March 17, 1995, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to appoint me to the vacant position of Treasurer-Tax Collector. I was sworn in immediately following the vote.
We appointed Sandra Hutchens with the provision that she successfully pass the required medical and psychological tests. Consequently, she was not sworn in at the June 10 meeting after our 3-2 vote. Not knowing how long the process would take, we scheduled a public swearing-in ceremony for the June 24 Board meeting. You should have already received my personal invitation. If the e-mail failed to reach you, please consider yourself invited.
We extended an offer to Sandra Hutchens to swear her in earlier, after the successful conclusion of the tests, if she so desired. She did. The Board offices were invited to the meeting three days prior. Several of them sent representatives, including Supervisor Norby’s office.
I had the pleasure, as Board Chair, to perform the swearing in. Judge Kirkwood was in the Hall of Administration for a Commission meeting and dropped into my office. I invited her to stay a few minutes in order to meet Ms. Hutchens and Judge Kirkwood stayed to attend the meeting.
To read the newspaper accounts of the swearing in click
The Los Angeles Times gave this account:
Hutchens sworn in as Orange County sheriff
She takes the oath in a private ceremony. A public swearing-in is planned for next week.
By Christine Hanley, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 20, 2008
Sandra Hutchens was quietly sworn in Thursday as sheriff of Orange County during a small, private ceremony. A public swearing-in ceremony is planned for next week.
Hutchens, the 12th sheriff in the county's history, has been eager to begin rebuilding a department tarnished by federal corruption charges against former Sheriff Michael S. Carona and a series of other scandals. But she could not officially take over until results of psychological and medical tests were complete.
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"That's why she was sworn in today, because [the results] have come in," department spokesman John McDonald said. "She passed the psych the day she took it. For the medical, they had to wait for some lab results."
Orange County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kirkwood performed the ceremony at the office of the clerk of the board. Board of Supervisors Chairman John Moorlach was the only supervisor to attend.
On Tuesday, a ceremonial swearing-in will be held at the Old Courthouse in Santa Ana.
Hutchens, 53, was appointed sheriff last week in a 3-2 vote by county supervisors, punctuating an unprecedented process that was set in motion in January, when Carona resigned to fight charges that he misused his office to enrich himself and others, including his wife and former mistress.
Hutchens was chosen over Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters, the other finalist from a national pool of about 40 candidates. When she applied to replace Carona, Hutchens was barely a year into retirement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, where she had risen through the ranks from secretary to division commander.
Hutchens will serve the balance of Carona's third term, which ends in 2010. She plans to run for sheriff in the next election.
christine.hanley@latimes.com
To read the Orange County Register's account click here.