San Rafael, CA – As District Attorney, I am bound by ethical standards not to discuss the evidence in any case under review, but I wanted to take a moment to update the community about a case involving racist voicemails directed at Brian Colbert, the Mayor of San Anselmo, and the first African-American to be elected to any town council in Marin County.
First, I want to make something clear: there is no place for racism, hatred, or anti-Semitism in Marin County. It's incredibly painful and harmful for our community. We need to acknowledge its poisonous presence and, as a community, we need to work together to make it stop.
Regarding the case with Mayor Colbert, my office has received some, but not all, of the police reports regarding the investigation of the voicemails which were received by the Town of San Anselmo on May 7, 2021, and reported to the Central Marin Police Authority on May 10,2021. When we are in receipt of all the investigative reports, we will review them in their entirety and make our decision based upon the totality of the evidence and reports in this case.
For a criminal charge to be filed, the evidence must match the criteria for the crime at a legal standard of proof that is beyond a reasonable doubt. To be clear, we take these cases seriously. This case is not closed. A final determination has yet to be made by my office. We will continue to provide updates on the status of the case.
Lori E. Frugoli
Marin County District Attorney