Wackerman Update:
December 10, 2025 – Mariposa County Sheriff's Office officials report that after Monday’s Sheriff’s Office update 
livestreamed on Facebook, we recognized there were additional questions from our community that warranted a clear response. Some local news media have implied that the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office was unwilling or unable to provide care for an inmate and therefore released him. While we respect the role of the press, the public deserves a full and accurate account of what occurred.
Mr. Wackerman’s medical providers, attorney, and the court imposed an extraordinary level of specialized care, care that neither our facility nor any surrounding county jails were equipped or authorized to provide. At no point was the Sheriff’s Office unwilling to provide medical care. We take our responsibility to those in our custody seriously, and we acted accordingly throughout this process.
Working under strict court-imposed deadlines, our staff spent the weekend tirelessly contacting facilities across the state to identify placement options capable of meeting the court-ordered requirements. We ultimately identified safe, viable, and appropriate alternative facilities. However, we were not granted additional time to pursue further options or finalize a detailed plan that would have kept Mr. Wackerman in custody.
The option we presented for placement was rejected by Mr. Wackerman’s defense attorney. The Prosecutor, California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, did not object and agreed with the defense position. As a result, the judge had no choice but to rule in favor of the defense request for release with electronic monitoring.
Because this is a pre-trial matter, decisions regarding custody, placement, and release are made by the prosecution, the defense, and the court, not the Sheriff’s Office. We followed every directive within our legal authority. We want to be clear: we fought to keep Mr. Wackerman in custody, but the final decision was issued by the court. As the prosecutor from the Attorney General’s Office stated, “It isn’t up to the Sheriff. It is up to the Prosecutor, Defense and the Judge.”
It should also be noted that Mr. Wackerman has been in custody since 2023, and we are now approaching 2026 without a trial having been held. We are frustrated and deeply concerned that the Attorney General’s Office did not fight for the people of Mariposa County. Their decisions reflected a limited understanding of what many of our residents endured, and what victims and their families continue to live with every day. This outcome is wrong and unfair to the victims, their families, and our community.
This situation also highlights a broader, urgent issue: California’s laws and procedures governing pre-trial medical and custody decisions must be revisited and modernized. Rural counties like ours cannot be placed in impossible positions, expected to meet specialized medical demands that no local or regional detention facility is equipped or authorized to provide. These challenges must be addressed at the legislative level. Without updated statutes and clearer guidance, Sheriff’s Offices will continue to be blamed for outcomes they do not control and have no authority to change.
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office complied with every directive, acted within its legal authority, and worked in the best interest of public safety at every step. Any suggestion otherwise oversimplifies a complex legal and medical process and misleads the public about the extensive efforts made by our staff.
Bottom line: The Oak Fire was one of the most devastating events in Mariposa County’s history. We should have been given adequate time to secure an agreed-upon placement facility. Mr. Wackerman should not have been released. The California Attorney General’s Office should have fought harder for our community. Would the Attorney General's Office have the same opinion if this was the individual accused of starting the Palisades Fire? Laws need to be changed and that starts with our legislators. Mr. Wackerman will still have to face the courts and the case is still ongoing, but our community is still suffering.
We remain committed to transparency, professionalism, and the safety of Mariposa County.
CAL FIRE Announces Arson Arrest in 2022 Oak Fire in Mariposa County
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Source: Mariposa County Sheriff's Office