If George Shirakawa Jr. receives community service instead of jail time as punishment for his felony mail fraud, he can thank a judge with whom he’s shared a political relationship for more than a decade.

Ex-county supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. attempted to pull strings from jail last year, according to new court filings from his political mail fraud trial. And in what could become a showdown over the use of the Fifth Amendment, the District Attorney's office plans to offer former San Jose Councilman Xavier Campos immunity in exchange for his testimony.

Xavier Campos has made the predictable shift from councilman to "facilitating relationships" for Ford & Bonilla, a lobbying and consulting firm with extensive ties to the Campos family.

San Jose Inside published its annual Year in Review list last week. Now we give you several predictions—some more likely than others—of stories to come in 2015. First on our list: San Jose's new mayor, Sam Liccardo, will show police the love—or something like that.

In a stunning gesture, County Supervisor Cindy Chavez this week recommended East Side’s favorite punch line, Xavier Campos, for a commendation for his one and only term on the San Jose City Council.

Following anecdotal reports of pedestrians getting jostled by passing cyclists, city officials will consider whether to ban bicyclists from downtown sidewalks.

Sylvia Perez-MacDonald has been promoted to director of the Independent Defense Counsel Office. That's the Santa Clara County agency that foots legal bills for defendants who can't afford attorneys and have conflicts of interest with other available offices—such as "allegedly indigent" ex-Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr.

Few scenes illustrate the fall of a once-powerful political family like a former labor boss passive-aggressively stalking people at Starbucks.

Santa Clara County wants greater financial control of its embattled EMT service provider, Rural/Metro.

Mike Wasserman’s special brand of milquetoast conservatism has made him the Ray Romano of local politics. He’s beloved for his affable nature, frequent banquet and ribbon-cutting attendance and unwavering commitment to ensuring no boat is rocked unless steady to sleep.

Fly has learned that the FBI has been investigating county ambulance provider Rural/Metro for its creative political activity. The investigation’s scope is not fully known, but sources say investigators have been looking into the ambulance company’s connection to Pacific Printing, a political mail house aligned with local organized labor.

In the end, it took longer to put former county Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. in jail than the time he actually served. But that might not be the case for long.

Santa Clara County shuffled around some of its top brass, promoting a pair of deputy executives two months after appointing a permanent chief financial officer.

Kathleen King ran the county's $450 million sales tax campaign, and she also happens to be CEO of the organization most likely to get leftover money from Measure A. So, coincidence or kickback?

Local labor legend John Neece said he was so "sickened" by Councilman Xavier Campos' decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment in a grand jury hearing that he has decided to endorse Magdalena Carrasco.

While George Shirakawa Jr. bides his time behind bars after admitting to filching public money, the price of defending him in court keeps ticking up as a second criminal case moves forward.