DA resigns

In a surprise move with major ramifications, Mariposa County District Attorney Walter Wall abruptly announced his resignation on Tuesday morning.

Wall appeared before the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors and made his announcement. He told the board he will remain in his position until June 30.

“I come here for one purpose this morning — to tender my resignation …,” Wall said to the board in his opening remarks.

Wall indicated he will be taking a new job, but did not give details.

“The decision to accept another position was not an easy one,” he said. “I did not seek this opportunity because I wanted to leave Mariposa County.”

The announcement came just a few hours before the press time of this newspaper.

Wall told the board he will continue to live in Mariposa County.

“My family and I are not leaving Mariposa County,” he said. “We will continue to live here, worship here, support local businesses and remain active members of the community.”

Wall also suggested that one of his deputies be appointed to the post as the interim district attorney.

“I have spoken to assistant district attorney, Gerard Egan, and asked if he will be willing to serve as interim and he has indicated his willingness to serve,” said Wall. “There is still important work ahead, but I am confident in the people who remain and in the future of the office.”

In his letter, Wall did not refer to a recent decision by the board of supervisors not to give him a salary increase that he requested.

The next steps

Because the resignation came suddenly on Tuesday morning, it remains unclear as of our noon Tuesday press time what will happen next.

State law requires whoever is serving as the district attorney must live in Mariposa County. That leaves a short list.

The DA’s office has a lot on its plate, including the upcoming trial of Edward Wackerman, the man accused of starting the Oak Fire, considered the biggest natural disaster in the history of the county.

That trial is expected to take place at the end of this summer in Fresno after the Mariposa County Superior Court approved a motion to move the trial out of the county because of the high profile nature of the case.

At one point, the California Attorney General’s Office had taken over that case but then it reversed course and handed it back to the DA’s office in Mariposa County.

Topsy turvy tenure

Wall’s two tenures as district attorney have been filled with many issues, including his reappointment to the post following a major controversy in the county.

Wall was first elected as district attorney in 2018 after serving for 14 years as a deputy district attorney in Merced County.

In 2022, he was reelected to the position.

Wall served in that role until January 2025, when he took over the office of Mariposa County Counsel following the retirement of Steve Dahlem. Wall at the time said he was looking to make a career move — and the county counsel job paid more money.

Wall recommended hiring Mike McAfee, then a deputy in the DA’s office in Mariposa County. In fact, McAfee was the only candidate to apply for the position and was hired by a unanimous vote of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors.

And then things turned upside down.

McAfee abruptly resigned on Aug. 11, 2025, following allegations he had been buying methamphetamine from a drug dealer in Merced.

It was Wall, acting as the county attorney, and Mariposa County Administrative Officer Joe Lynch who confronted McAfee about the allegations after they were uncovered by the Mariposa Gazette and turned over to Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese.

It was reported Lynch told McAfee he would be placed on administrative leave but McAfee chose to resign from the position.

The next day, the board of supervisors conducted a closeddoor meeting and appointed Wall to the position of district attorney. At that time, he was serving as both DA and county counsel, but that would be short lived as Wall resigned from the county counsel post just a few days later.

In doing so, he said he would be retaking the role of district attorney, noting he felt it would be the best move for the county and for the continuity of the office.

Since that time, Wall has dealt with many issues relating to the DA’s office, from the hiring of his son-in-law to requesting and being denied a salary increase by the board of supervisors. He is currently making in the neighborhood of $180,000 annually, significantly lower than similar DA jobs around the region and state.

Just recently at a meeting of the supervisors, Wall requested a salary increase but was denied. Officials said they wanted a salary study completed.

On top of all of that, he also has been embroiled in a public accusation from one of his former deputy DA, Josh Keheley, who filed a formal complaint against Wall.

Keheley accused the county of workplace and whistle blower retaliation as well as violating his First Amendment rights.

Interestingly, McAfee, who is now practicing as a private attorney in Merced, represented Keheley, who is demanding $4 million in damages. McAfee also filed a formal complaint with the county.

Keheley was the lead investigator in the DA’s office before he said he was forced to resign on Jan. 5 to protect his career and avoid “engineered discipline.”

On Sept. 9, Wall changed Keheley’s job title from “chief” investigator to “lead” investigator, without notifying him, according to the complaint.

The county denied both of the complaints, which is pretty standard procedure, and, to date, no lawsuits have been filed in the matter.

Thanking others

During his speech to the board, Wall gave thanks to many people, including the employees of the district’s attorney’s office.

“When I returned to this office, there were significant challenges before us,” said Wall. “Together, we worked to rebuild a strong and professional team, restore important partnerships throughout the justice system, strengthen services for crime victims and position the office for long-term success. I am proud of what our staff has accomplished during that time.”

He also gave thanks to the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, Mariposa County Probation Department, county counsel, the courts, law enforcement agencies and county departments “that work everyday to keep our community safe.”

In concluding his letter, Wall said “most importantly” that he wanted to “thank the citizens of Mariposa County for the privilege of serving you. Public office is a public trust and it has been my honor to hold that trust.”

The speech before the board seemed to come as a surprise with only one comment from the supervisors.

Board Chair Danette Toso thanked Wall “for your service,” and the board moved on to the next matter.

Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese was next to speak and he acknowledged it was “hard to follow” Wall’s announcement, but did say he felt there would be continuity in the system.

Briese said he felt Wall would work professionally during his final weeks in order to ensure the justice system continues to work for the people.