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After nearly two years of litigation, San Benito County Superior Court Judge Omar Rodriguez approved on Aug. 27 the release of Hollister Police records involving Hollister City Councilmember Rolan Resendiz.
It’s unknown what the reports contain or when they will be released. The documents are related to an October 2024 public records request by former council member Tim Burns to the city of Hollister for “any and all public records from the police department including investigations and reports that have the name Rolan Resendiz listed in them.”
At the court hearing, Rodriguez, Resendiz and Hollister legal representative Hoaithi Nguyen spoke in vague terms about the councilmember’s additional proposed redactions compared to the city’s version.
The redactions approved by Rodriguez include references to a minor, such as the name and medical information, as well as confidential and personal information of witnesses.
“The redactions [Resendiz] proposes about addresses and charges don’t warrant redaction,” Rodriguez said. “Some references to penal code don’t warrant redaction.”
Nguyen, with the Liebert Cassidy Whitmore law firm, told Rodriguez she could complete the redactions by the end of the business day on Aug. 28 and could then submit the documents to the city. She said she could not say when the city will release the records.
Following the hearing, Resendiz told BenitoLink that he wanted to make it clear that he was never convicted with regard to the police records that are sought and that the request for the records is a political move.
“This is clearly politically driven by former council member Tim Burns because he was ousted by me in the last election,” he said.
Burns, who is now running for Hollister mayor, told BenitoLink he requested the records while on the council because he was concerned about Resendiz regularly violating the code of conduct and how he addressed other council members.
“I thought there was a reason to look into his past history,” he said. “It appears I’m right. I have not seen what was produced, but clearly there is a reason for his attempt to stop the release of the records.”
Burns served alongside Resendiz between 2021 and 2024 while representing District 4. He lost his reelection bid to Priscilla De Anda in the 2024 general election. De Anda, who was endorsed by Resendiz during her campaign, said in a 2020 public meeting that she has known Resendiz for 16 years.
During his tenure, which spanned two terms starting in 2019, Resendiz was censured multiple times by the council starting in 2020 for his conduct toward fellow council members.
Honor Spencer, who was on the council at the time, said she called to censure Resendiz because he suggested there was a promiscuous sexual relationship between her and then-council members Marty Richman and Carol Lenoir. He was last censured in 2024 and directed to undergo training, which he said he would not do.
Resendiz, along with San Benito County Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki, were critics of former council member Rick Perez because of his criminal history, which includes a felony for corporal injury to a child in 2011. He has also admitted to a conviction involving stolen guns. Perez wrote about his life journey on BenitoLink.
Resendiz went as far as questioning Perez’s eligibility to hold an elected office.
Asked by BenitoLink if speaking against Perez was among the reasons his records were requested, Resendiz said, “What do you think?”
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