"A county assessor's 30-year reign came to an end. Two city leaders were sentenced in court. Superintendent firings and mass layoffs rocked a host of local schools. And a judge brought an end to a historic transit labor strike. But for each chapter that was closed this year, 2025 opened new ones. A special election turned a hopeful page for downtown San Jose. A gutted hospital was restored, preventing a health care desert in East San Jose."
"For more than a year, a child sex abuse probe into former downtown Councilmember Omar Torres faced San Jose with one of its darkest and most divisive chapters. The scandal finally came to a close in August, when Torres was sentenced to 18 years in prison for child sex abuse crimes, after a dramatic courtroom hearing where Torres' victim spoke publicly for the first time."
"It came four months after a jury found Becker guilty of perjury and failing to uphold his duties as a public official. Becker was accused of leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report - which focused on the San Francisco 49ers' influence over city politics - before its official publication date. Becker was also accused of lying about it to the grand jury during its investigation."
A county assessor's 30-year tenure ended amid broader regional change. Two city leaders faced criminal sentencing, including Omar Torres, who received 18 years for child sex abuse, and Anthony Becker, ordered to spend days in a county work program after a perjury conviction tied to leaking a grand jury report; Becker is appealing and seeking return of electronic devices. Superintendent firings and mass layoffs disrupted local schools. A judge ended a historic transit labor strike. Special elections installed new downtown leadership and will decide a new regional property tax, while a gutted hospital was restored to prevent a health care desert.
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