San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Richard Mallett rejected a motion on Tuesday that sought to dismiss felony charges against AngelAnn Flores, clearing the way for jury selection to begin this week.
The motion filed by Flores’ defense argued that grand jury proceedings were flawed and that key exculpatory evidence was not presented in the case of the former Stockton Unified School District board member who was charged in an April 2024 indictment with two counts of embezzlement by a public officer and one count of making false insurance claims.
The Penal Code 995 motion, submitted on April 4, argued that the charges should be dismissed due to insufficient evidence presented. The defense contended that key documentation — including receipts for 20 district credit-card charges and travel expenses to Oregon, Long Beach, and Monterey — were improperly excluded from grand jury consideration.
“The Grand Jury is not an arm of prosecution, they are not to act as a sword for the government to ensnare innocent people into the system. Rather, they are to be a shield from government overreach and vindictive prosecution,” the document states.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office and the plaintiff filed opposition on April 7, stating the grand jury had adequate evidence. Their response argued that “the defense in their motion has not raised any viable issues (…) Even if any proposed evidence could be considered exculpatory, given the weight of the other evidence and testimony, there was no substantial prejudice to the defendant. Therefore, the defense motion must be denied.”
Judge Mallett adopted this rationale at Tuesday’s hearing.
Flores’ attorney Tori Verber Salazar told Stocktonia during a call that the 995 motion is a “standard tool used to have the court review whether there was sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, given the limited scope of the grand jury process.” Salazar said the grand jury “never received a full accounting of the funds allegedly misappropriated, despite repeated requests,” and that the prosecution ultimately provided what she described as a “false number.”
Jury selection is set to begin on Wednesday and conclude by Friday. Opening statements are expected to follow shortly thereafter.
Salazar also said the dismissal of the 995 motion does not change the defense strategy.
“We have a vigorous defense to all of the charges,” said Salazar, adding that the defense has uncovered “a significant amount of corruption” to present in court.
The charges against Flores stem from an April 2024 indictment by a grand jury, which included allegations of embezzlement and making false or fraudulent insurance claims. Investigators focused on the misuse of district funds and the submission of an allegedly false insurance claim.
Flores has pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence, with Salazar characterizing the prosecution as politically motivated.
“The level of political retaliation, corruption, and false allegations is shocking in this case… There is insufficient evidence to proceed,” the defense email with the charges breakdown states.
A search warrant affidavit released in March 2025 by Stocktonia detailed a broader investigation that included allegations of potential Brown Act violations and conflicting campaign finances. However, prosecutors ultimately filed charges limited to the misuse of a district credit card and insurance fraud.
That affidavit also referenced accusations of influence and FBI informant activity, though charges related to those claims were not pursued.