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POST panel stays three‑month suspension, places Sacramento deputy on probation after DUI conviction
Summary
The POST advisory board recommended a stayed three‑month suspension and probation for Sacramento County Deputy Matt White after hearing the division’s finding of repeated impaired driving and the deputy’s testimony about treatment and sobriety efforts.
The Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board recommended a three‑month suspension stayed subject to probationary terms for Deputy Matt White after considering the division’s finding that repeated DUI convictions constitute serious misconduct under state law.
Rick Collins, law enforcement consultant, told the board the division had concluded clear and convincing evidence supported a finding of serious misconduct arising from Deputy White’s August 4, 2024 DUI arrest (measured BAC 0.11%) and a prior 2016 arrest. Collins recommended suspension or revocation of the deputy’s POST certification under Penal Code section 13510.8 because repeated impaired driving by an officer is inconsistent with the obligations of a peace officer.
White’s attorney, Joe Hopland, and White himself told the board about steps the deputy has taken since the 2024 arrest: residential treatment for first responders, continued Alcoholics Anonymous attendance, an ignition interlock device and ongoing counseling. “August 4th, 2024 was the best thing that ever happened to me,” White said, describing his recovery as life‑changing and outlining weekly therapy and program participation.
Board members debated the statutory standard and the balance between public safety and rehabilitation. One member expressed that repeated DUI offenses usually meet the SB2 standard for serious misconduct; others pointed to White’s documented treatment. A motion proposing a three‑month suspension stayed on condition of a probation program was put forward and carried in a recorded roll call; the board discussed standard probation terms used by the Commission (often five years with abstention, testing and counseling conditions).
The board’s recommendation instructs POST staff to draft standard probation terms for Commission consideration. If accepted by the Commission, those terms will include abstention from alcohol while on probation and monitoring as described in the Commission’s disciplinary guidelines.
The board emphasized that its action is a professional licensing recommendation under POST standards and separate from any criminal or agency discipline that has already been imposed.
