The watchdog for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is appealing a ruling the blocks them from subpoena power while investigating whistleblower complaints. Back in September, Judge Bradford DeMeo ruled in favor of the sheriff’s office saying that the Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach or IOLERO does have subpoena power in some cases but not for whistleblower ones. In the appeal filed this week, IOLERO is contending that county sheriff oversight boards or inspectors general do have subpoena power under state law. Part of their filing reads “If the Superior Court’s interpretation is allowed to stand, IOLERO cannot carry out the vital oversight of law enforcement the voters intended in a rural county where the Sheriff provides law enforcement services for much of the County and has primary control over all of the prisoners in the County jail.”