Mayor Preparing to Pull Trigger on Sheriff?

Written by Luke Thomas. Posted in News, Politics

Tagged: , , ,

Published on January 13, 2012 with 8 Comments

San Francisco Mayor Ed lee. File photo by Luke Thomas.

By Luke Thomas

January 13, 2012

Calling three criminal misdemeanor charges filed against newly elected Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi by District Attorney George Gascón, “extremely serious and troubling,” Mayor Ed Lee today released the following statement:

“The charges filed today by the District Attorney are extremely serious and troubling. As elected officials, our primary responsibility and focus must always be to fulfill our duties to the people of San Francisco.

“As Mayor, I must now review the facts and options available to me under the City Charter, but I must also ensure that we do not take steps that undermine the integrity of the criminal justice proceedings underway.”

Mirkarimi was formally charged this afternoon with alleged domestic violence, child endangerment, and dissuading a witness, stemming from an incident on New Year’s Eve involving Mirkarimi and his wife, Eliana Lopez.

Mirkarimi and Lopez have denied any wrongdoing and will fight the charges, the couple’s spokesperson said.

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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  • http://david-elliott-lewis.smugmug.com David Elliott Lewis

    Unsaid until now is the fact that the Sheriff and the Mayor are from opposite political camps. While they are both Democrats, they are linked with opposing alliances and allies.

    Additionally, because of Ross’s progressive politics and his past criticisms of the police, there exists plenty of political bad will to exploit any opportunity to bring him down.

    I continue to support Ross and feel bad for him and his wife, who are also now being forcibly separated against their mutual wills.

    This is a sad case for all involved.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_tab_pro Ann Garrison

    What David said. And, though I disagree with Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Tim Redmond, about everything to do with KPFA’s listener-subscriber/staff self-governance structure, Brian E.T.’s KPFA report on Friday, which was largely a conversation with Tim Redmond, was the best analysis I’ve heard yet.

    Unfortunately, that story’s not appearing in Google Search headlines, which is my central ongoing complaint with KPFA, as it has been for the past 10 years, long before I ever did any KPFA programming myself.

    If he’s able to hold onto the office and become a popular sheriff, despite all odds, and if his marriage survives this, Ross Mirkarimi will be a plausible future mayoral candidate.

  • Richmondman

    Ross is toast politically. He will forever have been arrested for criminal domestic violence, regardless of how this turns out. I have read attempts to compare this to the Joanne Hayes-White incident several years back, but the difference is this: Kamala Harris chose not to press criminal charges – George Gascon chose to do so against Ross. If Ross is convicted (something that may take years), Mayor Lee would have every right to replace him. Until then, Mayor Lee should let him continue to try to lead a group of Deputies who have zero respect for him.

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/patmonkrn/ Patrick Monk

    I don’t think anyone is advocating for preferential treatment or suggesting that domestic violence, in any shape or form, should be tolerated. What is troubling is when selective prosecution creates even the appearance of a double standard and political gamesmanship.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7FRuwNUsE
    This would seem to a far more ‘serious’ assault in which the aggrieved party actually reported the incident to the appropriate authority. The question should be why ‘Harris’ chose not to prosecute; what ‘influence’ might have been exerted. The publicity and rush to judgement in Mirkarimi’s case gives at least the impression of other forces at work. This is NOT an excuse or justification for what may have occurred, let ‘the law’ take it’s course. It does however raise a far more serious issue, the unequal enforcement of the law for possible political purposes.

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/patmonkrn/ Patrick Monk

    For those who may not have seen it.
    Youtube correction.
    San Francisco Fire Departments ‘private matter’
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7zFRuwNUsE
    hope I got it right this time.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_tab_pro Ann Garrison

    Thanks, Pat. I missed this in 2005, wondered what everyone kept referring to. That does make this look distinctively selective. Where were all these domestic violence opponents at the time?

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/patmonkrn/ Patrick Monk

    SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT ??
    “Oooops, mea culpa, I have just been informed that I hit myself in the back of my head…what’s that… (unintelligible third party voice)…oh yeah, that’s right, twice”.
    http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-06-21/bay-area/17378332
    http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-06-24/bay-area/17376467

  • http://www.linkedin.com/myprofile?trk=hb_tab_pro Ann Garrison

    Hahahahahahaha . . . very good.