CA Gov't Code Section 26638.7

The court security services unit shall be headed by a chief deputy who reports directly to the sheriff through the undersheriff, and whose administrative offices are situated at such location as the presiding judge of the superior court may direct. The chief deputy shall be exempt from civil service, and shall not be a member of the county’s classified service. The chief deputy shall be appointed by the sheriff from among Sacramento County employees who are assigned to the sheriff’s department, and who are qualified peace officers. The person appointed chief deputy shall serve in that office at the individual pleasures of the sheriff and judges of the superior court. The chief deputy shall be subject to release from that office at the will of either the sheriff, or the judges of the superior court, as reflected by a majority vote of the judges. A person released from the office of chief deputy shall be returned to the highest salaried county class which that person occupied preceding his or her appointment to the office of chief deputy. The chief deputy, during the period he or she occupies that office, shall be subject to suspension or dismissal from county employment at the sole discretion of the sheriff, subject to those county standards, procedures, and limitations as are applicable to county employees within the classified service. Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the first occupant of the office of chief deputy shall be the person who occupied the office of Sacramento County Marshal immediately preceding the effective date of the abolition of that office and consolidation. The first occupant shall be subject to release from that office and suspension or dismissal from county employment in accordance with the same terms, conditions, and procedures as are prescribed above. In the event the first occupant of the office of chief deputy is released from that office, he or she shall be assigned, at the discretion of the sheriff, to any existing vacancy in the classes of sheriff’s captain, sheriff’s lieutenant, sheriff’s sergeant or deputy sheriff, at a salary equal to that which he or she was receiving immediately preceding the effective date of release from the chief deputy office. Upon assignment to such a class, the first occupant shall immediately acquire permanent civil service status, and shall thereafter be subject to discipline or other adverse employment action subject to the same regulations and procedures as are applicable to other classified personnel occupying the same class. The office of chief deputy, court security services, is created as one whose principal function is to serve the superior court, and is assigned solely for organizational purposes to the sheriff’s department in order to promote the efficient utilization of personnel resources and preserve unity of command in the delivery of peace officer services. The chief deputy is an employee of Sacramento County for all purposes.