Plumas County Human Resources Director Nancy Louise Selvage is facing a jury trial on three felony counts related to her actions as a department head in May 2022. Visiting Judge Raymond Giordano determined during an April 9 preliminary hearing that there was enough evidence to proceed with a trial. The charges stem from Selvage’s involvement in recommending and obtaining pay raises for herself and other department heads, which the prosecution argues constitutes a conflict of interest under California law.
The hearing focused on Selvage’s role in advocating for the pay raises, particularly her own substantial increase of 43%. The prosecution presented evidence suggesting that Selvage’s actions violated laws against serving conflicting interests and obtaining money under false pretenses. They argued that Selvage failed to provide necessary information to the supervisors and backdated documents to cover up her actions.
Selvage’s defense attorney, Robert Burns, countered by emphasizing that Selvage was following the directives of the county supervisors and provided the requested information. He argued that the responsibility ultimately rested with the supervisors who approved the raises without fully scrutinizing the details.
Key testimony came from witnesses, including former County Supervisor Sherry Thrall, who expressed confidence in Selvage but admitted to not fully examining the details of the proposed raises. Another witness, investigator Jessica Beatley, provided evidence that documents presented by Selvage were backdated, potentially to conceal the timing of their preparation.
After considering the evidence, Judge Giordano ruled that there were enough grounds to proceed to trial on all three felony charges. Selvage’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 14 in Plumas County Superior Court.
