Former Santa Clara city councilmember Anthony Becker was convicted of perjury for trying to do the 49ers a favor, but he won’t do jail time, and will just get 40 days of community service.  

For about the last ten years since the 49ers started playing in Santa Clara, Santa Clara politicians could basically be broken down into two camps; those who get gobs of money from 49ers CEO Jed York and are “faithful” to carry out his every wish, and those who push back against York trying to fleece the city and try to keep him in check.

The most notorious member of the city council’s Team Jed is former city councilmember Anthony Becker, because he lied under oath in 2023 about leaking a grand jury report to team brass to let them know there was a negative story coming. Becker lost his reelection bid this past November, but that mattered little, because he was found guilty of perjury in December and forced to resign his post while carrying out his final lame duck weeks in office.

So since early December, Becker has been anxiously awaiting his sentencing. Prosecutors pushed hard for jail time, because this was a felony perjury count with a maximum four-year sentence, and Becker was an elected official. But the Chronicle reports that Becker was not sentenced to jail, but instead 40 days of community service in a county jail work program administered by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.

“I do think there should be some form of punishment beyond you losing your job,” Judge Javier Alcala said before handing down the sentence. “The crime requires some kind of punishment, not necessarily sitting in the county jail.”

It’s stunning to think that the now-convicted Anthony Becker nearly beat 49ers critic and current Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor in 2022, losing by fewer than 800 votes in that year's mayoral election. Now Gillmor is Mayor of Santa Clara, and Becker will be spending 40 days in a jumpsuit picking up trash along Santa Clara highways.

Related: Santa Clara City Councilmember Indicted for Lying Under Oath About Leaking Report to 49ers [SFist]

Image: Anthony Becker, Santa Clara Councilmember- District 6 via Facebook