Maurice Monk: Miscarriage of Justice

On July 24, 2026, felony charges against three Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies charged in the horrific death of Maurice Monk were dismissed, leaving one misdemeanor charge against a single deputy. 

A Campaign to Dismiss the Sheriff’s Deputies

These latest dismissals mark the near end of a short and swift campaign by District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson to dismiss charges against all of the Sheriff’s deputies involved in two in-custody deaths inside Santa Rita County jail.

In 2023, my prosecutors charged two Sheriff’s deputies in connection with the death of Vinetta Martin inside Santa Rita County jail. Both deputies were accused of falsifying records to make it appear that they had provided appropriate care and supervision for Ms. Martin, a Black woman suffering with mental illness, who was found dead in her cell on April 3, 2021. 

Video footage from inside the jail contradicted the deputies’ claims that they had followed proper procedures and the truthfulness of the records they completed.

In September 2025, District Attorney Jones Dickson dismissed the charges against the two Sheriff’s deputies in the Vinetta Martin case, claiming “insufficient evidence.”

In 2024, my prosecutors charged nine deputy sheriffs, a nurse and a doctor in connection with the death of Maurice Monk in November 2021. Monk, a Black man diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, was arrested and jailed in 2021 after he allegedly threatened the bus driver, refused to get off the bus and missed a court date. His bail was set at $2500. He did not have the ability to post bail.

In August 2025, District Attorney Jones Dickson dismissed six Sheriff’s deputies and all of the medical staff charged in connection with Mr. Monk’s death, claiming “insufficient evidence.” 

Despite video evidence contradicting the written reports, the DA dismissed most of the charges against the Sheriff’s deputies after the Sheriff raised almost $80K for her election campaign, and the County paid $7 million to his family. 

The Tragic Death of Maurice Monk

Maurice Monk lay in his jail cell for at least three (3) days before Sheriff’s deputies went into his cell and discovered he was dead. In circumstances almost identical to the death of Vinetta Martin, Sheriff’s deputies were accused of falsifying the jail’s records to make it appear that they had performed the mandatory safety checks on Mr. Monk. Video from inside the jail contradicted the self-serving documentation prepared by the deputies and the medical staff.

When a single deputy sounded the alarm and other deputies actually entered the cell, rotting food that had been thrown into the cell was found along with Mr. Monk’s medication in pill cups scattered about the cell. He was lying in a pool of urine and had obviously died days earlier. The medical staff were also accused of ignoring Mr. Monk’s medical needs.

Falsifying A Domestic Violence Report

Fast forward to 2026. Similar record falsification conduct was exposed in the September 2022 murder cases of Maria Tran and her husband, Benison Tran. The couple was murdered by Alameda County Deputy Sheriff Devin Williams, Jr. with a department-issued handgun. A month earlier Maria called Sheriff’s deputies to her home in August and asked for help to get a restraining order against Williams after he showed up at her house harassing her. Sheriff’s deputies lied and told her she could not get a TRO, then allegedly falsified the 911 call record, turned off their body cameras and did not file an incident report, all in violation of official policies. 

The County settled the case in May 2026 for $36 million, the largest settlement in Alameda County’s history.

We pay, they walk.